And Then There Were Ten: Redux
by CrestOfHealing
Summary: Twenty-four years after the battle with Lucemon, a new evil rises. The Legendary Warriors are called back to the Digital World, this time with four new allies: their children.
1. A New Beginning

_**And Then There Were Ten: Redux  
**_

**Chapter 1: A New Beginning  
**

_No river can return to its source, yet all rivers must have a beginning.  
-American Indian Proverb_

"The Digital World is dying."

The silver woman cast her sightless eyes heavenward, her metallic skin gleaming the color of Ophanimon's moon. Her quicksilver robes drifted lazily about her ankles, tossing flecks of golden light and cobalt shadows around the small and featureless room. Beyond a pearly barrier, a pair of digimon shared a startled look before turning to face their charge.

"Are you talking to us?" one of the guards ventured.

The being's gaze drifted to the guard, who recoiled as her eyes caught his reflection, reflected the image as clearly as a mirror but somehow exalted by the orbs that held it, and the statuesque figure smiled. "I apologize. Twenty years have passed since I was bound to this prison, and I fear I have had little company…A conversation would bring me great pleasure."

Blushing furiously, the guard bowed. "O-of course! But…what is there to talk about?" This was Regulumon, a warrior whose name and data had been taken from an astronomer's file on the constellation humans called _Leo_, as well as its brightest star, _Regulus_. The leonine digimon wore black pants and bronze armor inlaid with a jade magatama as a symbol of his immense physical and spiritual power.

"What do you know of the world beyond these walls?"

Regulumon's companion, Valkyrimon, extended one white-feathered hand, and a golden falcon dropped from the rafters to settle on his forearm. Gold and steel armor crisscrossed his avian body, and a blue cloth hung from the leather belts about his waist. While Regulumon preferred to fight unarmed, using his sword only as a last resort, Valkyrimon wielded a variety of weapons and currently carried a crossbow, sword, and shield. "Flare has been bringing me news," he said, stroking the falcon. "Troublesome news."

The woman cocked her head to one side, looking avian herself for a moment. "What sort of news?"

Flare screeched, and Valkyrimon sighed. "Wicked digimon have overrun the land, and its denizens are powerless to stop them. The data of many innocent digimon have been scanned, and those who survive live in fear."

"They need champions," Regulumon growled. "Someone strong enough to free them. I'd do it myself, but…"

A laugh like wind chimes filled the small space. "But you are as bound to this castle as I. We are not as different as you think, Regulumon. I, too, would like to help, but no digimon alive can grant our wish, just as none can defeat those who oppress our world. Only the Legendary Warriors and Celestial Angels wield that kind of power, and they have been silent as long as we have resided here."

"What of the humans?" Valkyrimon asked.

Regulumon shook his head. "On whose word are we to believe those stories? Any who met the humans have been reborn too many times for us to trust their memories!"

"The Legendary Warriors themselves vaunt the humans who fought at their sides against Lucemon and his minions!" Valkryimon protested. "Are we to discount the greatest heroes our world has ever known?"

"And where are the Warriors now, Valkyrimon? They placed their hope in humans and that was their downfall! I'll not make the same mistake!"

"Peace, friends," the silver digimon murmured. Her guards stilled. "It is true that humans have not come to our world in centuries, but that is only because they were not called upon. They do not know what happens here any more than we know what has become of their world since the gate closed."

Hope lit Regulumon's eyes, and he stepped toward his charge. "Can you call them, then?"

"No." She smiled again as his broad shoulders slumped. "But take heart. The Digital World herself may cry out when the pain becomes too much for her to bear. And I do believe such a time has now come."

"What are you saying?" Valkyrimon asked. Flare, sensing his master's agitation, took flight with a shrill cry. "Are they coming? Truly?"

Turning to gaze out the window behind her, the silver figure smiled as Ophanimon's yellow moon transformed her eyes into molten gold. "Indeed they are, Valkyrimon. The gate is opening as we speak."

-.-.-.-

The bang of the front door closing startled Takuya Kanbara out of the conversation he had been carrying on with the other digidestined and their wives. _Who was that? _he wondered as the house fell silent. Before he could ask, however, footsteps descended the staircase and a boy of twelve years poked his head in the living room doorway.

"Nao?" Kouichi Kimura asked. "What was that?"

"Sorry, Dad," the boy replied, shaking his jet black hair out of his emerald eyes. "That was Taura and Jomei. They're going to the park."

Kouji Minamoto shook his head. "And they couldn't spare two seconds to say so themselves?" Nao shrugged and crossed to the couch his father and uncle were sharing with Kouji's wife, Kaya. The boy wore black pants and a sky blue tee shirt, and as he draped himself over the back of the couch between Kouji and Kouichi, his hair fell back into his eyes.

"Aren't you going with them?" Kouichi asked, twisting in his seat to study his son.

Nao shrugged. "Nah…I was just about to start Macbeth."

"Again?" Zoe Kimura asked, smiling fondly at her son. "You've read that one three times already!"

"But it's good!" Nao protested. "It's one of my favorites."

Kaya Minamoto leaned around her husband to frown at her nephew. "Isn't that the one where everyone dies?"

Shuffling his feet, Nao blushed. "Well, it _is_ a tragedy. People die in tragedies…"

"Then why do you like it so much?" Kaya asked, adopting the tone she normally reserved for headline interviews. Seeing her husband raise his eyebrow, she laughed and shut her mouth.

"I dunno," Nao said, smiling at his aunt. "I like the irony, I guess."

Yawning, Takuya stretched and slipped his arm around his wife, Midori, who shot him a wry smile. "Real smooth, Takuya."

The one-time gogglehead laughed. "I don't know what you're talking about. I was just thinking that Taura and Jomei had the right idea. It's the first day of summer vacation, for crying out loud! Why waste it reading? When I was your age, I spent the whole day playing soccer and enjoying the sun. The _second _day was the day I shut myself up in my room playing video games for twelve hours straight."

"There's a big difference between reading and playing video games, Takuya," Kouji pointed out.

Kouichi snickered, but sent Nao a look that could only be described as fatherly. "Takuya's right. Why don't you join Jomei and Taura?"

"But Dad…"

"Come on, Nao," Tommy Himi said from his place on the floor across from the couch. "You'll have fun. You can take Kado with you – he _would _play video games all day."

"And whose fault is that, hmm?" Tommy's wife, Nyoko teased, poking him in the side. "If you wouldn't bring your work home with you, maybe he wouldn't be obsessed."

JP Shibayama shared a meaningful look with his own wife, Hana, and chuckled. "Don't pretend you don't like a good video game yourself, Nyoko. We all know how you get."

The woman blushed. "I only play when I get writer's block!" she protested, winning a laugh from JP.

Nao hesitated a moment longer, then nodded and left the room. They heard him bound up the stairs, and after a muted conversation, two sets of footsteps returned to the living room. Nao entered, followed by Kado, a ten-year-old with his mother's red hair and father's green eyes, who was dressed in an orange-striped white polo shirt and army green shorts.

"Can I at least bring my PSP?" he asked.

Having recovered her dignity, Nyoko folded her arms and frowned at her son. "You have all summer to play video games, Kado. One day won't kill you." Kado sighed, but Nao offered him a smile and the two boys went to put their shoes on.

"Tell Taura that dinner's at six!" Midori called as the front door opened. There was a distracted acknowledgement, and they were gone.

As silence reasserted itself, Kouichi sighed. "Sometimes I worry about him."

"Nao?" Takuya asked, and Kouichi nodded. "Why?"

"He never seems to hang out with other kids. Ever since we moved, I swear all he does is read Shakespeare."

"He's just shy," Zoe assured him, though her voice wasn't as bright as it usually was. "You were like that, too, remember? I mean, aside from the Shakespeare."

"That isn't as comforting as you might think, Zoe."

Midori scowled. "If you're talking about Duskmon, I have to tell you that you're taking fatherly concern to an unhealthy extreme."

Sighing, Takuya patted his wife's arm. "I think it's time you tune down the policewoman vibe, honey. You aren't at work."

"Sorry."

"She has a point, though," Kouji said, placing his hand on his brother's shoulder. "I thought you put Duskmon behind you a long time ago."

"I did," Kouichi assured him. "It's just…they're the same age now that we were when we went to the Digital World. It just makes me nervous."

"The Digital World hasn't needed our help in years," Tommy said. "Why would it call on our kids after all this time?"

-.-.-.-

"You think they followed us?" Taura Kanbara glanced over her shoulder at the crowds choking the park. Sweat trickled down her neck, and she was beginning to regret the red long-sleeved shirt she had thrown on under her black tank top. Even her jean capris were a bit too warm for the early summer sun.

Her best friend, Jomei Minamoto, followed her gaze, frowning, and Taura found herself envying his choice in clothing – brown shorts, black flame tee, and green button-up over top. Then again, Taura didn't need baggy clothes to make her look like a tomboy; with her hair tied back, she resembled her father enough that people might mistake her for a boy if she wasn't careful. She even wore goggles in the same style he had once treasured.

"We're safe," Jomei said without a moment's pause. "You know my cousin. I think he's allergic to sunlight. Kado too."

"You think we should've invited him?"

Jomei studied her with eyes as icy blue as his father's. "Naoko? Why bother? He would've said no – you know he has better things to do than hang out with us."

"I didn't mean we should ask him so he could say _yes_," she said. "I meant we should ask him so he could say no and then our parents couldn't get mad at us. They can't accuse of respecting his choice."

After considering this for a moment, Jomei shrugged. "Oh, well. We can deal with our parents later. Let's just enjoy ourselves today. Our spot?"

"Our spot," Taura agreed, charging into the wood that bordered the park. It wasn't a large wood, but it was thick enough that most visitors to the park didn't venture in. They left behind the screaming children and flying soccer balls and prattling picnickers, plunged through bushes and trees, tugging at twigs that caught in their hair.

And then suddenly the trees thinned out. A stagnant green pond lurked beneath a weeping willow, and a section of rotten log had been dragged under the curtain of leaves for use as a bench. The noon sun blazed down on the pond, reflecting off what little exposed water there was and casting crystal patterns on the willow leaves. The grass was tall, but half the clearing had been trampled flat, trampled all the way to the dirt in places. Though at first this had been Jomei's haven, Taura had followed him here three years ago, making it _their _place, rather than his alone, but Jomei didn't seem to mind sharing it with her.

As they crossed to the rotten log, Taura reached up to pluck a willow frond from overhead and began to strip it of its leaves. Tomorrow, she was meeting some friends to play soccer, and she had promised her younger brother, Benjiro, that she would practice with him this weekend. But today, she would spend time with Jomei. They would enjoy each other's silence for a bit, and plan out some more diversions to get them through the summer and their parents' inevitable nagging to spend more time with Nao and Kado.

But Taura was reluctant to break the silence just yet, to admit that summers were long and boring ordeals to be endured rather than enjoyed. So she flopped down on the packed earth at the willow's roots, closed her eyes, and listened to the whistle of the wind, the rustle of the grass, the plink of unknown creatures jumping into the pond, and…the electronic peal of a cell phone.

Taura groaned and reached into her pocket. An icon on the screen indicated she had a text message waiting, but when she navigated to the message, no sender was listed. Confused, she read the message, then glanced to Jomei, who was staring at his own phone.

"You got the same message?"

Jomei frowned. "'Do you want to play?' Sounds like a dumb joke."

Taura shrugged. "I wonder who sent it…" As Taura scrolled through the message, hoping there would be something at the bottom, the screen went blank and two words appeared: YES and NO. "Well that's weird."

"What?"

"Scroll down." Taura waited as Jomei pressed a button and then pursed his lips. "What are you going to say?" Taura asked, thumb hovering over the YES button.

"Don't tell me you're actually taking this seriously? It's probably some kind of virus or something."

"Maybe..." Grinning, Taura pushed the button. "Oops. Too late now."

"Taura!"

"Oh, come on, Jomei. Say yes! What's the worst that could happen?"

He hesitated once more, but Taura could tell from the way his finger wavered that he would say yes. Finally, he sighed and shook his head. "If my parents get a huge bill next month, I'm blaming you."

Almost immediately after he pressed the button, both cell phones beeped once more, and Taura eagerly opened the text. "Walk north?" she read, scrolling. "That's it? How far? Where are we going? What are we looking for?"

"I warned you," Jomei said, shoving his phone back into his pocket. "Some kind of spam or virus or something."

But Taura couldn't stop the grin that stretched across her face. "What do you say we take a little walk?"

"What? No way!"

"Oh, come on. It's a gorgeous day, and I've been sitting still all term! I could use a little exercise. Please?" She leaped to her feet and grabbed Jomei's arm, dragging him out from under the willow despite his protests. When he realized she wasn't giving up, Jomei sighed and relented, and they walked north in silence for several minutes.

At length Jomei stopped walking and crossed his arms. "Face it, Taura. We can walk all day and still not find anything. Let's just turn around or go get ice cream or something."

"There's an ice cream shop north of the park," she pointed out, and Jomei groaned. "Oh, don't be so boring! Come on, I'll race you." Not waiting for a reply, she took off running, holding her arms in front of her face to ward off branches that clawed at her face. Jomei came crashing after her, shouting for her to slow down and stop being such a kid. Taura merely laughed and called back for him to stop being such an adult. The moan she got in response widened her grin and she picked up the pace.

Her foot caught on something and she went sprawling, twigs snapping as she skidded through the leaf litter.

"Taura!" Jomei cried, emerging from the foliage behind her. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," she said, scrambling to her feet. She was used to hard falls, thanks to soccer and kendo; it would take more than a stray root to ruffle her feathers. "What _was _that, anyway?" She began to search the ground for the offending root, but couldn't see anything that would have tripped her.

"Here." Waving her over, Jomei crouched down and brushed a tangle of weeds aside to reveal a dull metal rail as wide as Taura's hand.

"Old train tracks?" she asked. "I don't remember any lines going through here."

"Didn't they redo this park a few years ago? Why not clear this out?"

Taura didn't have an answer and so glanced around her for some kind of explanation. What she found was a dilapidated boarding platform, wooden planks black and sagging with age. "Look!" she cried, darting over. "How old do you suppose this is? I didn't know we had anything like this in Shibuya. Do you think it would hold me?"

Jomei wasn't smiling. "Come back here, Taura. If those boards give out, you could break your ankle."

"I know that! Why do you think I'm being so careful?"

"You call running onto a rotten old boarding platform careful? It's a shame I already bought your birthday present, or I'd get you a dictionary."

Sticking her tongue out at him, Taura scrambled for a witty comeback but was spared the trouble when their cell phones beeped in tandem. "Another text?" She glanced around the small clearing. "I don't see anyone. How'd they know we were here?"

"I really don't like this, Taura," Jomei said, staring at the screen. He paused for a moment to read the text, then shook his head. "Some stranger telling us to take a train can't be good news."

"There isn't even a train to take!"

"Hey! It's Taura and Jomei! Do you think they got the texts, too?"

Taura turned and saw that Kado Himi and Nao Kimura had entered the clearing from the east, phones in hand. Nao had stopped at the tree line, staring at his cousin for a moment before glancing behind him as though looking for an escape route, but Kado had no such qualms. He flew across the grass and mounted the steps to the boarding platform, phone held out in front of him.

"Yeah, we got them," Taura said, eyes bouncing between Nao and Jomei. "Don't see any train, though."

Turning, Kado frowned at Nao. "What are you standing there for? Come take a look at this. It's like something out of a video game! Do you think it'd take us to Yen Sid?"

"Who?" Jomei asked testily.

"It's from _Kingdom Hearts_," Taura explained, frowning at the look Jomei sent her. "What? I'm not allowed to like video games? Have you met my father?"

As they spoke, Nao joined them on the platform and walked to the far edge, leaning out to follow the tracks into the forest. "What, will the line stretch out to th' crack of doom?" he murmured. Though Taura didn't recognize the line, she knew from the faint accent Nao's voice acquired that he was quoting Shakespeare.

"Don't be creepy, Naoko," Jomei grumbled. "It's just a run-down old train line."

As if to protest this assessment, a train wailed in the distance, making all four children jump in alarm. When it quieted, they could hear the clanking sound of wheels on a track, and a shape flickered behind the trees. It rounded a corner and a headlight, blazing despite the midday sun, forced them to shield their eyes until a train shot past the station, nearly blowing them off their feet. More suddenly than should have been physically possible, the train jerked to a standstill, and the doors opened with a hiss.

"All aboard!" a voice inside the train called. Three of the four children hesitated, but Kado darted through the doors of the lone passenger car, hopping onto one of the bench seats and staring out the window while gushing some giddy nonsense about Twilight Town.

"Get out of there, Kado," Jomei called. "You don't even know where this thing goes or how much it costs!"

"No worries!" the voice assured him. "This one's on the house!"

"See?" Kado cried. "Come on! What if it goes someplace really cool?"

Taura knew she should be more wary, but she had to admit she was curious. "You know, there's bound to be another station nearby. We can always turn around and come right back…"

Jomei scowled. "You can't be serious!"

But Taura was already in the train car, glancing around for the man who had spoken. "Hello? Anyone here?"

"You need something?"

"Um…where are you?"

"Up front. Where else?"

Taura blinked. "Oh. Right. Are you the one who sent us these texts?"

"Texts? What are you talking about?"

"I'll take that as a no."

"Are your friends getting on or not? I got a schedule to keep, you know."

Taura turned to see that Jomei and Nao were still on the boarding platform, Jomei looking skeptical and Nao looking bored. Grabbing Nao's wrist, Kado dragged the older boy through the door, and Taura waved Jomei over. He rolled his eyes but entered, and as soon as he was through, the door slammed shut and the train shot away from the platform as swiftly as it had arrived.

Kado and Nao, who were just sitting down on the far bench, tumbled sideways, and Nao cried out as his shoulder hit a pole. Taura managed to brace herself against the bench while reaching out to catch Jomei – the only one of them still standing – and as they rounded a corner, Jomei tumbled onto the bench, striking his head on the window.

"Ouch!" he yelped, latching onto a pole of his own. "What kind of a train ride is this?"

Across the car, Nao and Kado were hanging on for dear life, Nao to a pole and Kado to Nao. The track seemed to drop away like a rollercoaster, and as Taura's stomach leapt into her throat, her vision blurred, and her companions seemed to change form, becoming for an instant larger, strangely-proportioned beings.

Then they hit a bump and Taura squeezed her eyes shut as she began to scream. When they came to a vicious halt, she peered around the car, not sure what to expect, but whatever she had thought she'd seen, it was gone, so she cautiously released her hold on the pole and turned to glance out the window. The platform here was concrete, and startlingly bright, though she could see no light fixtures. Before she could stand, the whole side of the car opened up, and the train lifted off the tracks, dumping them onto the cement.

Taura was on her feet in an instant, storming to the front of the train in search of the conductor. "Hey, buddy!" she yelled. "What's the big idea? That was the worst train ride I've ever taken!"

"Train? I ain't no train. I'm a Trailmon."

It took a second for Taura to realize that the voice belonged to the train itself, but then she screamed, long and loud, and the others came running over, demanding to know what was the matter.

"Hey, hey!" the train cried. "Turn it down, would you? You're giving me a headache!"

Jomei gasped along with the others, but recovered faster and scowled at the creature before them. "What are you?"

"A Trailmon. I already said that."

"What's a Trailmon? Where are we?"

"A Trailmon's a digimon, what else?" the train said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "And this is my home. The Digital World."

"Digital World?" Kado asked, recovering from his shock. "You mean we actually went to another world? That's awesome!"

"No it's not!" Taura roared. "Take us home! Now!"

"Sorry, I'm busy," the train said. "My route doesn't go back there for a couple weeks."

"Weeks?" Jomei cried. "What are we supposed to do in the mean time?"

"I don't know. Wander around. Enjoy yourselves! Not my problem; _I_ have a schedule to keep!" In a burst of steam, the Trailmon started off once more, and Taura chased it to the edge of the platform before she gave up and started pacing.

Jomei pulled out his cell phone and scowled. "No service here."

"Great," Taura grumbled. "What are we supposed to do now? We have to find a way back!"

"Do we _have _to?" Kado asked, leaping from the platform. "Right now? I mean, can't we explore a little bit? Maybe we'll find someone who can help us! And what about the person who sent those texts? They must've had some reason to bring us here, right? What if this is the start of a quest to save the world? We can't just _leave_!"

Jomei scowled and grabbed Kado's arm, dragging him back to the platform. "Don't be an idiot, Kado. This isn't a game. We don't know anything about this place. You're going to get yourself killed if you go off alone, and _I'd _be the one held responsible."

"You're no fun," Kado grumbled.

"I don't care about fun. I care about staying alive," Jomei growled, bristling as Kado stuck his tongue out at him.

Shaking her head, Taura scanned the area. Beyond the boarding platform, a short stretch of bare dirt formed a semicircle around the track; all else was forest. "What are we supposed to do for food? I don't have much money."

"We need a plan," Jomei said. "We'll find a village or something and work for food until the Trailmon comes to take us back."

"What if there are more of them?" Nao asked. "Maybe we can find another Trailmon that can take us home."

Jomei scowled. "Look around, Naoko! This place is deserted. Why would anyone waste two trains for a ghost town? We aren't going to find another way back."

"Not if we don't look."

Jomei waved a hand in the air, rolling his eyes. "Fine. You want to go look for a nonexistent train, be my guest. But do it alone. I'm going to do something useful." Nao stared at him for a moment, then turned and strode down the steps, shoving his hands into his pockets, and disappeared into the forest.

"Is he going to be alright?" Kado asked, staring after him.

Shaking his head, Jomei met Taura's eyes and huffed. "We'll have to go after him sooner or later," Taura pointed out. "We can't afford to get separated."

"Yeah, yeah," Jomei said. "I know."

-.-.-.-

The light here was brighter than back home – Nao was sure of it now. He squinted and bowed his head, but the light seemed to come from all around, from the fallen leaves and the stones and the soil itself, all glowing like a computer screen. When he craned his neck to look for the sun, he found himself gazing into a cloudless, _sunless_ cyan sky. Even the leaves seemed to glow a lime green, casting no shadow as far as he could see. Coming to a pond, Nao crouched to splash some water on his face, and found that the water was as bright as everything else, bright enough to have been the sun, fallen from the sky.

"A human!"

Startled at the voice behind him, Nao whirled to find a creature – presumably another digimon – floating at the edge of the forest. It looked like a brown warthog with a purple underbelly, but a cloud of smoke billowed out in place of hind legs, and it wore a silver helmet and a gold band on its left leg.

"Oh, wow, I can't believe this. I never thought I'd get to see a real live human!" The creature sounded inexplicably giddy, reminding Nao of his science teacher. "Let's see now. Human-type, obviously. Variable attribute. Variable level, but comparable to an In-Training or Rookie. Special attacks: none."

_Attacks? _Nao wondered. Were digimon violent creatures? If so, Nao and the others were in for a long few weeks. Jomei and Taura had studied kendo under Jomei's father, but Nao and Kado would be less than useless, and Nao rather doubted that Taura or Jomei would be keen on protecting him for long. "What are you?"

The digimon grinned. "My name is Tapirmon. I'm a holy beast-type vaccine digimon of the Rookie level. My special attacks are Deleting Virus, Walking Dream, and Nightmare Syndrome. I should warn you, I'm useless in combat, but I _am_ the Keeper of the Book."

"Book?" Nao asked. "What book?"

"The Book of Knowledge," Tapirmon answered. "It has all the Digital World history you could ever want. Oh, and I know all sorts of tidbits about digimon. Not all of them, I'm sure, but a lot. I learned from the great Bokomon himself. He taught me all there is to know about the digidestined, too."

"Digi what?"

"Digidestined! The stewards of peace in the Digital World! The humans to whom we appeal when no one else can vanquish the tyrannous digimon oppressing us! Don't you have a digivice – a D-Tector?"

"No. You've got the wrong guy," Nao said, glancing over his shoulder. "I'm not looking for a battle; I just want to go home."

"What, leaving so soon?" a new voice chimed in. Turning around, Nao saw that the voice came from a yellow frog with orange fur and black spines down its back. A dozen of these digimon had emerged from the pond, the first few of which were now hopping towards Nao.

"Gizamon," Tapirmon said calmly, pressing his hooves together in thought. "Sea animal, viral Rookie. Special attacks are Spiral Saw, Four-Leg Kick, and Water Cure."

"Enough talk," the first Gizamon said, glaring halfheartedly at Tapirmon. "We're just here for the human." He and two others launched themselves at Nao, who ducked, barely avoiding their razor sharp claws. As he straightened up, Tapirmon darted in front of him.

"No!" the warthog cried. "You mustn't harm him! We need his help!"

But the Gizamon kept coming, and Nao backed away, swallowing. "I don't think they buy the whole digidestined thing."

"Nonsense! The digidestined are the Digital World's most famous legend."

"What are you doing?"

Whirling, Nao found Taura standing behind him, Jomei and Kado at her side. She gaped at him, eyes darting between him and the Gizamon, as did Jomei, whose expression soon settled into a scowl. Kado, trembling, cowered a few feet from the other two.

Nao grimaced. "Right now? Trying not to die."

"Golly-gee-Witchmon!" Tapirmon cried. "You didn't tell me there were more of you! Oh, this is excellent."

"Yeah," Jomei said. "Peachy."

A Gizamon inched towards Taura, eyes twinkling with excitement. "I call this one!" It gurgled. Waiting just a moment for a nod from the leader, it sprang at her, but she broke off a low-hanging branch from a nearby tree and brought it down on the digimon's head. It slumped to the ground, unconscious.

After a moment of stunned silence, the other Gizamon swarmed her. Taura spun her branch, knocking away three digimon, but retreated from the rest as Jomei broke a branch of his own and joined the melee. Together, they fended off the Gizamon, standing back-to-back for protection, and Kado scrambled to Nao's side. Three more Gizamon fell unconscious before the rest simultaneously retreated without a word.

"What was that all about?" Kado asked timidly as the scene stilled.

Taura frowned. "I don't – "

"Fire Ball!" A fireball sailed across the pond and ignited Jomei's branch, which he promptly dropped. The digimon that emerged from the brush was humanoid, but his entire body consisted of flames, save for a row of stitches in place of a mouth.

"Oh, dear!" Tapirmon cried. "Oh, my! Oh, this is bad. Definitely bad!"

"What is?" Taura demanded as she shifted her grip on her branch.

"That's Meramon! He's a flame-type data digimon, and he's a Champion."

"What does that even mean?" Jomei snapped, stamping out the flaming branch at his feet.

"It means he's ten times stronger than the Gizamon you were just fighting. What's more, since he's made entirely of flame, he can throw fire at you. He doesn't even have to get close to do some real damage!"

Meramon laughed. "But it's so much more fun up close!" Roaring, he hurtled over the pond toward Nao, who scrambled out of the way just as the flame-man sailed past him, crashing into a tree and setting it ablaze. Nao gaped as the flames consumed the tree far more quickly than they should have, reducing it to ash within seconds. Meramon emerged, still laughing, and extended his hand toward Nao.

"Hey!" Taura shouted, picking up a rock and throwing it at Meramon's head. "Why don't you pick on someone who can fight back?"

"Taura!" Jomei hissed. "What are you doing? You're going to get yourself killed!"

"Fire Ball!"

Taura stumbled back as the attack hit the ground in front of her. The next blast sent her flying backwards to the middle of the pond, where she landed with a shout of pain and fear as Meramon turned his attention to Jomei.

-.-.-.-

Taura skidded through the water, crying out as a rock sent a jolt up her spine. Coming to rest in the center of the pond, drenched and slimy with algae, she struggled to get her feet under her as she prepared herself for Meramon's attack. Then she saw him, going after Jomei and cackling about some legend or another being wrong.

"Jomei!" she cried, finally gaining her feet and starting to run. She hadn't made it three steps before she kicked a rock, which exploded with a cone of blue light. The rock rose from the water and hovered before her, revealing itself to be some kind of statuette, all blue curves and squiggles with a tiny red gem in the middle.

A second glow erupted from her pocket, this one white and blazing, and her cell phone began to ring, the sound becoming an electronic whine as she reached down to grab it. What she found was unlike any cell phone she had ever owned. It was larger, thicker, and oddly shaped, with a rubbery grip on the side and a handful of clunky buttons, but she didn't have much time to think about it, for a whisper in her head prompted her to point the non-cell phone at the statuette. A beam of light shot out and drew the object forward, shrinking it until it was small enough to pass into the device, and then the world around her faded.

-.-.-.-

Nao gasped as an egg of bluish light wrapped around Taura, flickering with bands of purple and green. Everyone was transfixed by the sight, even Meramon, but it was Tapirmon who shouted in delight: "By the Angels, she's evolving!"

"Evolving?" Jomei asked, his grip on his new branch slackening. "What do you mean, evolving?"

"I mean she's transforming into a Legendary Warrior! Bless my code, I never thought I'd witness this in person!"

Before the children could respond, Taura's voice cried out from the blue egg. "Execute: Spirit Evolution!"

Tapirmon squealed like a five-year-old on Christmas morning as the egg shattered, revealing a new figure clad in blue, with blue armor on her lower arms and ankles, and a blue helmet framing her face. Her skin was green, with fins on her hips and the sides of her head. Rubies sparkled on her helmet, the same color as her eyes, which gleamed as she grinned at Meramon.

"Ranamon!" The digimon sounded like a twenty-year-old Taura, but with a slight Texan drawl, and Nao felt himself blushing at the distinctly feminine form before him, who was wearing somewhat more revealing clothing than Taura usually did.

"Spectacular!" Tapirmon cried. "I never dreamed Spirit Evolution would be so spectacular!"

"What happened to her?" Jomei demanded, face tinted the same shade of red as Nao's.

"She has become Ranamon, Legendary Warrior of Water. This is only the Human Spirit, mind you, but she is powerful in her own right. Her attacks are – "

"Vapor Trident!" Ranamon cried. Water streamed into her hand, forming said three-pronged weapon.

Tapirmon stared on in amazement. "Inconceivable! That's not one of her attacks!" Ranamon, either ignoring him, or just not hearing, charged Meramon, thrusting her Vapor Trident forward. It evaporated on contact with his chest, but the damage was already done, and Meramon staggered back, clutching his steaming wound.

Extending his hands forward, he shouted, "Roaring Flame!" and a jet of fire sped towards Ranamon, who merely smirked.

"Aqualine Metamorphosis."

Ranamon turned into water instants before the fire hit. The water zoomed forward, slicing though the fire, and bore down on Meramon. Once through his attack, Ranamon reformed, still surrounded by a column of high-pressured water; her foot connected with his face, water pummeling the rest of his body.

Howling in agony, Meramon faded to a silhouette with a large white egg at the center, and a ring of the strange blue light surrounded him. Ranamon landed lightly on her feet in front of him, a blue-and-teal device in her hand.

"Fractal code…Digitize!" The blue light peeled away from the silhouette, streaming toward the device, and as the last of the light disappeared, the shadow dissolved, black particles dispersing into the air along with the egg, which soared out of sight. Tapirmon looked ready to faint from sheer giddiness, but the children remained slack-jawed and speechless as the blue egg reformed around the newfound Warrior of Water.

-.-.-.-

"So what are we going to do with the rest of our afternoon?" Zoe asked, stretching and settling back against her husband's legs. "Now that most of the kids are gone, the house is awfully quiet."

"Not for long," Tommy assured her. "Kita's still upstairs. I give her ten minutes before she comes looking for someone to let her win at Candyland."

Takuya shook his head. "Ben's up there, too. I'd say we have an hour, easy."

Chuckling, Kouji stood and went to browse the Kanbara's movie collection. "I'm gonna go ahead and say it now. When the kids ask for board game volunteers, someone else had better raise their hand because I'm not getting roped into it."

"What's the matter, Kouji?" Takuya teased. "Didn't you ever play with Jomei?"

"Not often," Kaya replied before Kouji could say anything. "At least, not until he was older. He always made him cry because he wouldn't go easy on him."

"That's not true!" Kouji protested. "I went easy on him. I just didn't spoil him into thinking he could win every battle!"

Frowning, Noriko patted Tommy's arm dramatically. "I think we'd better find a different volunteer, honey, or else our daughter will be scarred for life!"

"Jomei turned out just fine, thank you," Kouji grumbled.

Hana Shibayama nodded sagely. "Kaya, you must be some kind of saint!"

Kouichi shot his twin a sympathetic smile and shrugged. "For what it's worth, I think you're a great father."

"You're my brother. You have to say that."

A cell phone rang, silencing the rest of the conversation, and Zoe reached instinctively for her pocket. "Whose is that?"

"I think it's mine," Takuya said, standing and hurrying to the kitchen. The phone continued to ring, and Takuya could be heard rummaging around. "Midori, do you know where I left my phone? It's not on the counter!"

"Look by the fridge!" Midori called, not moving. She smiled at the others. "He always leaves it there."

"Aha!" Takuya cried in triumph. "There it – woah!" He fell silent for several seconds, then came charging back into the living room, a grin splitting his face. "Guys, look at this! It's my D-Tector!"

-.-.-.-

"So this thing's called a D-Tector?" Kado asked, turning over the device Taura had received.

Tapirmon nodded vigorously. "Yes. It's a digivice designed to hold Spirits and fractal code. Only works for humans – digidestined to be precise."

"And Taura got the Human Spirit of Water," Jomei said. "What was it like?"

Taura had devolved several hours ago. The four kids, accompanied by Tapirmon, returned to the Trailmon station, not surprisingly finding it abandoned. Though Taura was too tired to really care, she noticed Jomei's frustration and Kado's uncertainty. It seemed the battle had soured his excitement over discovering a new world. With their cell phones still non-functional, the group decided to make camp rather than walk aimlessly until nightfall and settled down under a clump of trees.

"Taura?"

Taura looked up. "Huh?"

Jomei frowned at her. "I was asking you what it was like to Spirit Evolve."

"Oh, sorry. I guess I'm worn out from the fight." She took her D-Tector back from Kado and studied it. "It was all instinct. I barely remember standing up and pointing this thing at the Spirit. Then I was in this…this void, floating there, and the light formed into armor and attached itself to me. And then…I don't really remember. It's all a blur."

"That's quite normal," Tapirmon assured her. "It's the residual consciousness of the original quintessence of the Spirit, returning to assist the new Warrior – "

"Did I mention I was tired?" Taura asked. "Smaller words would be nice."

"He's saying the spirit itself was doing the fighting," Kado said. "The digimon that was originally the Warrior of Water – "

"AncientMermaimon," Tapirmon supplied.

"– was still somewhat alive in the spirit and helped you fight."

Jomei rolled his eyes. "Tapirmon, you said it was normal. What did you mean?"

"Well, it happened with the others," Tapirmon said. "Of course, I didn't know them personally – it was 582 years ago, when I was still Mokumon, my Baby form. Bokomon told me about them."

"I thought you said this was a _digital_ world," Kado frowned. "There wasn't anything digital 582 years ago."

"Oh, silly me! There's a time difference between the worlds. So it would be…24 years ago, your time. Plus a few months."

"How many Legendary Warriors are there?" Taura asked.

"Ten in all. Six last time, and – if I'm right – you four."

The group fell silent, the only sound the trilling of birds in the canopy. Taura stared at the device in her hand, considering Tapirmon's words. A Legendary Warrior? _Her? _It had to be a mistake – she was no hero! And yet there was no denying that she had evolved into the Warrior of Water. And the others? Jomei she could see battling evil digimon, but Nao and Kado…? No, Tapirmon had to be wrong.

"It feels late," Nao said suddenly. Taura forced thoughts of heroes and Spirits out of her mind and focused on Nao's words. "Shouldn't it be getting dark soon?"

"This is the Continent of Light," Tapirmon replied. "It doesn't get dark here."

"How is that even possible?" Jomei asked.

Kado shrugged. "The same thing happens in a lot of video games. No one bothers with boring stuff like sleeping during a quest, you know. I wonder if there are recovery items here, too?"

"Why would there be?" Jomei snapped. "This isn't one of your stupid games!"

"Well, no…" Kado's smile faded. "But if we're in a world made of data, anything's possible."

"Anything but a good night's sleep," Taura groaned. After a moment, her thoughts turned in another direction and she sighed. "I wonder if our parents are worried."

Jomei stretched out in the leaf litter and covered his eyes with his outer shirt. "Probably, but there's nothing we can do about that right now. Get some sleep, Taura. We'll find a way home tomorrow. I promise."

* * *

**Next Time: "Playing Dirty" – The kids try to find a way home, but the Human Spirit of Earth has other plans…**

**A/N: Welcome to my new and improved Frontier sequel, And Then There Were Ten: Redux. To those of you who read the old version before I went AWOL, I hope you like the additions and I'm sorry for disappearing. To the newcomers, thanks for checking me out! If you didn't know, this is a rewrite of a story I started years ago. But you don't have to worry about me quitting this time; I've written quite a ways ahead and am currently working on some of my favorite chapters.**

**Comments and criticism of any kind are welcome! Disclaimer's on my bio. Thanks for reading!**

**~Avery  
**


	2. Playing Dirty

**Last time … On the first day of summer vacation, and Taura Kanbara, Jomei Minamoto, Kado Himi, and Naoko Kimura decided to spend the day in the park, but their plans were put on hold when they got text messages guiding them to a Trailmon station in the middle of nowhere. Now they're stranded in the Digital World, and Taura just found out that she can Spirit Evolve into Ranamon, the Legendary Warrior of Water!**

**Chapter 2: Playing Dirty**

_Consequently, he who wants to have right without wrong, order without disorder, does not understand the principles of heaven and earth. He does not know how things hang together._  
_-Chuang Tzu_

Jomei took the last watch. It wasn't hard to stay awake in the unending light, but he had slept poorly the night before, despite Tapirmon's insistence on taking a double shift to make up for Taura, who was too exhausted from her Spirit Evolution to stand guard. For the first half of his shift, he merely watched the others sleep - Kado moaning at some dark dream, Taura curled in on herself and using her arms as a pillow. And Naoko, turning his back on Jomei even in sleep, his spine rigid - he had taken the third watch, and Jomei had spent the better part of an hour wondering whether he'd fallen asleep yet.

In time, his mind began to wander, and he thought about his parents. Were they worried? No, that was a stupid question. Of course they were worried. They probably been out all night searching, his father roaming Shibuya's backstreets in search of nonexistent kidnappers, his mother putting up fliers and calling everyone in her address book. She'd probably already convinced the producer of her news show to run the story every hour.

But when Jomei tried to picture them frantic, paralyzed with grief and fear, emotional wrecks, he couldn't. His parents were both strong; they would continue to fight until they found him. In fact, it wouldn't surprise him in the least if his mother was the reporter speaking about the supposed kidnapping. They were hurting, but they wouldn't give up, so neither would Jomei.

_Today_, he promised himself. _We'll get home today._

He let the others sleep for as long as he could bear to sit still, then reached out and shook Taura's shoulder.

Yawning, she stretched and sat up. "Good morning."

He scowled. "Can you really call it morning if there wasn't a night?"

"Not so early," Taura protested, rubbing her eyes as another yawn threatened. "I can't think when I'm half asleep."

Smiling, Jomei watched as she ran her fingers through her hair. "It's been a while since I slept outside," he said.

"Me too. And I had a brush last time. Are the others up?"

"Not yet." The smile faded as his gaze fell on his cousin. "I can't believe we're stuck here with them."

"Just ignore him until we get home," Taura suggested. "The last thing we need is for him to go running off on his own again."

"Yeah. Uncle Kouichi and Aunt Zoe will kill me if anything happens to him."

A wry smile lit Taura's face. "You're assuming a rampaging digimon won't get to us first." The two turned at a yawn behind them, and found Kado, rubbing his eyes as he stumbled toward them. "Good morning," Taura said dryly.

Kado moaned. "My head hurts, and I'm hungry."

"We're all hungry," Jomei pointed out sourly.

Taura silence him with an elbow to the ribs and smiled at Kado. "We're trying to figure out where to get food, but we don't even know where to start looking."

"Why don't you ask Tapirmon? He lives here, doesn't he?"

"Just what I was thinking," Jomei grumbled, brushing past Kado to reach Tapirmon. It took him a while to wake the digimon, and the fuss he made in the process was enough to rouse Naoko. When he finally woke, Tapirmon mumbled something about finding meat apples.

"_Meat_ apples?" Jomei scoffed.

"Taste just like meat," Tapirmon yawned.

"I told you!" Kado grinned as he helped Naoko to his feet. "There's all kinds of new stuff here, just like a video game!"

"This _isn't _a video game, Kado!" Jomei snapped.

Taura grabbed Jomei's shoulder before he could say any more and pulled him back. "We'll go find the meat apples," she said firmly. Jomei glared at her before turning and storming away. Taura crashed through dry leaves as she followed, shouting over her shoulder, "Try to get a fire started, okay?"

By the time Taura caught up to Jomei, he was far beyond earshot of the others, and he kicked a rock so hard it flew ten feet and hit a tree trunk with a sharp crack, sending splinters flying in all directions. "If you're going to tell me to calm down, save it," he snapped as Taura reached out to touch his shoulder.

Sighing, she spun him around. "Jomei, you're being ridiculous."

"_Ridiculous__?_ So this is funny to you?"

"Of course not! I'm not any happier about being stuck with those two than you are, but you can't let little things set you off like this!"

"Little things?" Jomei scoffed. "It's like he doesn't even consider the rest of us, Taura. None of us have eaten since yesterday – what gives him the right to complain about it?"

"He's just a kid, Jomei."

"And that gives him the right to annoy the rest of us?"

Taura crossed her arms. "Worry about him later. Right now, we have to focus on getting home."

"Then quit blaming everything on me!"

"I'm not blaming _anything_ on you, Jomei! It's bad enough I'm stuck with Nao and Kado. I _really _don't need you twisting my words right now!"

"Well, excuse me if I'm not exactly cheerful today. Who was it that got to sleep all night?"

"I _told_ you I would take a watch," she spat. "You were the one who said I needed the rest."

"Not like you argued," Jomei snapped. "You're almost as bad as Naoko."

"Stuff it, Jomei. Just because you're in a bad mood, that doesn't give you the right to take it out on me!"

"Fine, then why don't you leave?"

She gaped at him for a moment, anger quickly masking the hurt that flashed across her face. Without a word, she turned and strode off into the forest.

-.-.-.-

At first, she tried to pretend she was still looking for meat apples, but the charade didn't last long - What was his _problem? _Taura had known Jomei all her life, and while he wasn't exactly the friendliest person in the world, he'd never blown up like this. He'd _certainly _never blown up at her. And now of all times! She wished she had never set foot on that Trailmon. She didn't want to be a digidestined; she just wanted things to go back to normal!

A beep from her pocket interrupted her frenzied line of thought. Taking out her D-Tector, she saw that "Identify?" was flashing on the screen, with a small triangle pointing to the button on the left. Curious, she pressed the indicated button.

"Lopmon. Data. Rookie," she read aloud as a picture of a brown rabbit-like digimon with large ears and pink markings appeared on the screen.

"You're a digidestined!" Taura looked up in alarm. The digimon from the screen – Lopmon – peeked out from a bush. Her eyes were glued to Taura's D-Tector. "Do you think you could help us?"

"Us?" Taura echoed warily.

"The other Lopmon and I. Our farm's in trouble. We need your help! Please?"

The Lopmon pouted at Taura with her huge, glistening eyes, eliciting a small smile from the girl. "I really shouldn't...We're trying to get home."

"Pleeease?" the digimon whined, grabbing Taura's hand. "It'll only take a minute!"

She resisted a moment longer, then sighed as the digimon latched onto her leg. "Alright, alright! But we have to get my…we have to go get the others first."

-.-.-.-

As Nao fed the small fire he and Kado had managed to start, the younger boy sat down near Tapirmon. "What exactly is digivolution?" he asked.

The digimon tilted his head to study Kado. "Why the sudden interest?"

Kado shrugged, flushing. "I was kind of looking at Taura's digivice last night. One of the commands was 'Digivolve'. I was wondering what that meant."

"Don't tell Taura you were looking at her D-Tector," Nao advised softly. "She'll bite your head off."

"Digivolution," Tapirmon began, ignoring Nao, "is the process digimon undergo to gain power. There are six basic levels: Baby, In-Training, Rookie, Champion, Ultimate, and Mega. Many kinds of digivolution exist, from warp-digivolution to Spirit Evolution. There are variations on the basic levels, too. Armored Champions and Human Spirits, for instance, are roughly equivalent to Champions. The other spirit – the Beast Spirit – is closer to an Ultimate in terms of power."

"So digimon don't grow?"

"Not the way humans do." Tapirmon paused. "As I don't know much about the process of human maturation, it's difficult to explain. But no, digimon don't grow; they don't die, either."

"Oh, so we can't kill them but they can kill us," Nao scoffed, scooting closer to join the conversation.

The younger boy frowned. "So what happened to that Meramon yesterday?"

"His fractal code was scanned," Tapirmon explained. "His data was purified and absorbed into Taura's digivice. That egg you saw, the digiegg, will go to the Village of Beginnings, and when the accumulated data in the D-Tector are rendered, the Meramon will be reconfigured and the digiegg will hatch into a Baby-level digimon. The whole process is modified deletion."

Nao sighed. "Sounds complicated."

"So what you're saying," Kado said, scratching his chin, "is that digimon are just data that somehow came alive."

"Basically, yes."

"How?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself. It happened thousands upon thousands of years ago, and I was only reconfigured a few hundred years ago. Most digimon forget everything when they're reconfigured, you know. Only the strongest memories survive, and even then often in a fragmented state."

As Kado opened his mouth to reply, Jomei stalked into the clearing, arms laden with meat apples. Taura was nowhere to be seen. "Did something happen?" Kado asked.

Jomei dropped the meat apples. "Nothing happened!" he yelled at the younger boy. Nearby, Nao jumped. "It's none of your business anyway!"

"Do you think it's wise leaving her on her own?" Tapirmon – the only one present who seemed not to notice Jomei's bad mood – asked.

"She can take care of herself."

"Glad to see you're worried about me," Taura grumbled from behind him. A small brown-and-pink digimon was standing near her, leaning away slightly. And Taura looked _livid._

Jomei glared at her. "You have a Spirit, don't you? I would've thought you'd be the type to get mad at someone being overprotective."

"Just because you don't want to be overprotective doesn't mean you have to be heartless!"

"Oh, so now I'm heartless?"

"Who said you weren't always?"

"Then why were you friends with me in the first place?" Jomei laughed bitterly. "After all, you're _so_ much better than me!"

"I don't know what I ever saw in you, Minamoto! And I'm _not _your friend anymore!"

"Fine by me!"

Jomei and Taura turned their back on each other, arms crossed. The rabbit-like digimon glanced between them before raising her right ear slightly.

"Excuse me...I don't mean to bother you, but we need help."

-.-.-.-

After a quick breakfast of meat apples, they set out with the Lopmon. Taura walked in front with the small digimon, while Jomei drifted back. The other three shuffled (and floated) uneasily in between. Kado ventured up to the front of the group, attracting a curious glance from Lopmon, who studied him for a moment before swinging up onto his shoulder.

"What's with them?" Lopmon asked, earning a glare from Taura, who subsequently quickened her pace and turned her attention to the surrounding foliage.

"I dunno" Kado shrugged. "They've been best friends for forever. They even take kendo lessons together at Jomei's dad's dojo."

"How good of friends are they?"

"Good enough to do everything together." Kado lowered his voice. "When Nao and his parents moved back to Tokyo, where we live, Jomei's dad told Jomei that Nao was family and he had to make him feel welcome."

"Where were they before?" the little digimon asked.

"Nao's family? Fukuoka, mostly. His dad was a school counselor there and his mom ran her own day care. Three years ago, they all moved to Tokyo. Before that we had only seen him during school breaks."

"Why'd they move, then?" Lopmon questioned.

"Because Nao's grandma lived in Tokyo and got really sick. It wasn't the first time she was in the hospital, but I guess that time it was really bad, and Nao's dad wanted to be with her. She moved in with them, and they took care of her for a few months before she died. And then Jomei's dad made him treat Nao like a friend. Taura's good enough friends with Jomei that she always went with him, even though she didn't really want to hang out with Nao. Now her parents expect her to always hang out with Nao, just like Jomei's parents do. She hates it."

Lopmon frowned. "So no one likes Nao?"

Kado shushed her. "It's not that! I mean, I like him alright, but...I dunno. We don't really have anything in common. And he basically ignores Jomei and Taura, so..."

"So no one likes him."

Kado just sighed and snuck a glance over his shoulder at Nao, who was shuffling along, oblivious to the pair talking about him. _Maybe he is alone, _Kado thought, frowning, _but if it bothered him, he'd say something...wouldn't he?_

-.-.-.-

Taura's legs began to ache before long, but to her relief it only took a few minutes to reach their destination, a decent-sized farm with withered brown crops. Near the trees, there was a small adobe building, from which three Lopmon emerged to gaze in awe at the humans.

"Did they come to help?" the smallest asked.

The original Lopmon jumped down off Kado's shoulder. "Yep!"

"Cool! I've never seen a human before." He ran over to Jomei and stared up at the black haired boy. "You're armor is weird."

"It's not armor," Jomei grumbled. "It's clothing."

"Weird. Why don't you have armor?"

"Why don't you?"

"'Cause I'm small and fast. Armor would slow me down. But you don't look very fast. You should have armor." Nao couldn't resist laughing, but Jomei seemed too busy trying to keep his temper in check to retort.

The biggest Lopmon stepped forward. "Alright. We can't waste any more time. Something's wrong with our farm. Our crops refuse to grow."

"We think it's either the water or the soil," another Lopmon added in, swinging himself onto Taura's shoulder.

The larger digimon cleared his throat, glaring at the one who had interrupted him. "We need two of you to go down to the river and two strong boys to stay here."

"Come on, Kado," Taura said abruptly. "We're going to the river."

The Lopmon on Taura's and Kado's shoulders – the two smallest – waved goodbye to the others and directed Taura and Kado to the river. On the way, they explained that the farm had an underground irrigation system connected to the river, but the intake was clogged. More importantly, a cruel digimon plagued the waters; blocking the irrigation was merely the latest of many sabotages. Rookies like the Lopmon didn't stand a chance in battle against the mysterious Champion, and so they had gone in search of help.

"I thought you didn't know why your farm was struggling," Taura pointed out.

"Well…the soil _is_ pretty bad," the smallest digimon mumbled. "That _might_ be part of the problem." Taura sighed and let it slide. It didn't matter anyway. She was just glad to be away from Jomei. Besides, while the "strong boys" were doing the hard work back on the farm, she was perfectly happy to fight a digimon by the river. Dirt wasn't her thing.

The rocky field they had been walking across became a broad, flat dirt riverbank that ended abruptly at a murky river wide enough to fit an apartment building. A metal pipe protruded into the water, the opening blocked by a car-sized boulder. Kado frowned and went to investigate.

"This shouldn't be too hard to get rid of," he said after a moment.

"We know," the female Lopmon said. "It's the digimon who's the problem."

"Yeah, you said something about a digimon before. So...where is it?"

As if in response to Kado's question, a large pink appendage shot out of the water, grabbed the young boy's ankle, and pulled him, screaming, into the air.

-.-.-.-

The Lopmon wasted no time in setting the boys to work. Nao walked the rows of shriveled crops, the smaller of the two Lopmon clinging to his shoulders, and boy loaded what the digimon deemed to be beyond recovery into a sack. Somewhere behind him, Jomei shoveled fertilizer onto the farmland under the supervision of the other Lopmon.

Nao paused to wipe sweat off his forehead. "Why do you have that shovel anyway?" he asked. "It's more than twice as tall as you are."

The digimon shrugged. "Came with the property. See, we got this place from a bunch of Lilymon. They're bigger than us, so that shovel was even a little small for them."

"And you never bothered to get another one?" Hefting the bag off the ground, the boy resumed his labors.

"Where would we get it? Oh, don't miss that one!"

Nao reached for the indicated plant and tugged on the brown stalk, but instead of coming free, it retreated into the soil. For a moment, Nao started after it in confusion. Then, as if a stick of dynamite was buried in front of him, the dirt exploded, knocking Nao and the Lopmon over. A stone digimon stood there, growling down at his victims through a dull metal helmet. He held the twisted dead plant in his hand, but proceeded to toss it over his shoulder and reached for the boy.

"Golemon," Tapirmon said from somewhere behind Nao. "Rock-type, data. Champion. His special attack is Sulfur Plume. Rather thick-headed, but definitely a threat."

"Where have you been?" Jomei demanded. "Couldn't you have helped out with some of this work?"

Nao could hear a reprimanding tone in Tapirmon's voice. "Young man, I do not believe this is the proper time to be discussing this."

"Fine. I could use some stress relief anyway!" Jomei came sprinting into view, shovel ready, and swung at Golemon. Combined with the element of surprise, the kendo student's power was just enough to temporarily drive Golemon back. Nao took the opportunity to grab Lopmon and make a run for it, risking a glance over his shoulder. Shoulders tense, Jomei raised his make-shift weapon as Golemon recovered, but it only took one blow from the digimon's rock-hard fist to obliterate the shovel.

"Well," the larger Lopmon sighed, "there goes our only shovel."

Nao grimaced. "Somehow I think we have more important things to worry about."

Golemon's next attack was aimed at Jomei's chest. The boy stumbled back, twisting aside to deflect some of the blow, but it was still powerful enough to throw him ten feet backwards into the barren field. A cone of orange light swallowed him before he had even stopped sliding.

-.-.-.-

The pink thing lifted Kado, upside down, over the river. Blood rushing to his head dimmed his vision for a moment, and he feared he would pass out. When his sight returned, he almost wished he _had._ Pink, fleshy hands clutched his ankle; blue eyes stared at him from a pink reptilian face with ropey, lime green hair. A spiky gray shell covered the rest of the creature's body. Taura read information off her D-Tector: Shellmon, sea animal-type data Champion.

"I can tell you right now," Taura sighed, "we won't get much done like this. It's time to Spirit Evolve…if I knew how."

"This isn't the time to joke around!" Kado shouted. "Just Evolve already!"

"I wish I could! But… I don't remember what button to push." A series of frantic beeps followed as she jabbed at the device.

"Taura," he called. "Taura! Calm down. See the three buttons on the front? Push the lowest one of them."

"Kado, that's not working!"

"Now push the button on the left side of the D-Tector – the one next to the screen."

"Wait…Huh? That's it! But how do you know how to work this thing?"

"I…may have taken it last night to look at it," he said, continuing before Taura completely lost control: "Hey! If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be able to Spirit Evolve right now."

"If it wasn't for you I wouldn't _have_ to Spirit Evolve right now!"

"Hey!"

Taura groaned. "Never mind. I'll deal with you later. Execute: Spirit Evolution! Ranamon!"

Ranamon started on the offensive. "Vapor Trident!" The weapon formed, and lunging forward, Ranamon jabbed it at the hand holding Kado. Shellmon dropped the boy, roaring in pain as Kado crashed to the bank and scrambled away from the digimon.

Ranamon alighted on the dirt in front of him, hand on her hip. Shellmon was partially submerged in the water, but towered over the Legendary Warrior anyway. The massive creature lunged at her, obviously angry about losing its prey. Its intended target leaped up, neatly avoiding the assault, and delivered a swift kick to the beast's head before landing in a crouch to the side. Without warning, a pink appendage slammed into Ranamon's ribs. Flying well over twenty feet, she plunged into the middle of the river.

Shellmon moved in for the kill: "Slamming Attack!"

Before it could even begin the attack, however, Ranamon launched her own. "Dousing Torrent!" All the water around Ranamon lifted into the air, formed into a disk like an over-sized Frisbee, and hurtled through the air to crash against Shellmon's side. The digimon was left staggering around the river, but it soon regained its footing and stared defiantly at Ranamon.

"Well?" she smirked. "Aren't you going to do anything? No? Then I will." Her Vapor Trident reformed in her hand, and she threw it like a spear. The three sharp prongs buried themselves deep in Shellmon's side, dissolving into mist as the digimon faded to a silhouette and a digiegg surrounded by fractal code.

Ranamon raised her D-Tector. "You won't be bothering this farm anymore. Fractal code…Digitize." The Legendary Warrior of Water turned around. "Now, about this boulder…" With one swift kick, Ranamon demolished the stone, and water roared into the subterranean irrigation system. "There! Problem solved."

-.-.-.-

Even before Jomei announced the Spirit Evolution, Nao recognized the egg of fractal code. A petite, brown-skinned digimon with a large nose emerged from the fading fractal code, identifying himself as Grumblemon in a throaty version of Jomei's voice. He was short, with red markings on his skin and a red hat and pants. His white and blue armor was decorated with a symbol reminiscent of a cactus.

"That's Grumblemon!" Tapirmon said with a distinct note of glee. "Legendary Warrior of Earth! If Ranamon was anything to go by, his attacks don't include Seismic Sledge."

Sure enough… "Fertile Fist!" A chunk of dirt shaped like a fist formed, hovering beside Grumblemon. It flew into the sky, slamming at full force into the Golemon, and collapsing into a mound of rich soil on top of him.

"Sulfur Plume!" Not bothering to escape from the pile of dirt, Golemon released a cloud of acrid smoke at Grumblemon, but the Warrior of Earth merely tunneled out of the way. Golemon stood and scanned the field warily, seeing no sign of his opponent.

"Sandstorm." The top layer of gritty sediment rose from the field, swirling around Grumblemon as he emerged from the ground. Soon he was obscured in a whirlwind, which moved quickly towards Golemon and enveloped him in the attack. For a few seconds, the whirlwind lifted off the ground. The natural wind set to work on the attack and the sand began to slowly disperse. Before much of the attack had dissipated, Golemon flew down out of it – the result of a powerful kick from Grumblemon. Golemon faded to a silhouette as the last of the sand blew away and Grumblemon landed, D-Tector in hand.

"Fractal code…Digitize."

-.-.-.-

The adults were once again gathered in the Kanbara living room. Takuya and Midori were seated in the middle of the floor, staring at his D-Tector. Tommy had taken the armchair with Nyoko on his lap; JP and Hana fidgeted on the loveseat. Zoe paced behind the couch, where Kouichi, Kouji, and Kaya sat, the twins talking together softly. For nearly an hour now, they had alternated between reminiscing and silent contemplation. Or, in JP's case, silent worrying. All because of something the size of his hand.

"You can't go back now," Nyoko said at last. "You have families now. You have children now! What if…What if you get hurt?"

Tommy reached out and grabbed his wife's hand. "That isn't going to happen."

"We don't even know that they _are_ going back," Kaya added. "We have one digivice right now. No transportation, no message; just one digivice."

Takuya grinned. "Yeah. Maybe I'm the only one getting called back. Maybe Ophanimon wants me to save the world on my own this time!"

"That's not funny, Takuya!" Midori snapped, whacking the back of his head. "What about Ben and Taura?"

The former gogglehead's face fell, but before he could apologize, a cell phone rang.

"Well one thing's for sure," Kouji muttered, reaching into his pocket. As he pulled out his D-Tector, his eyes found Takuya's. "You aren't going alone."

-.-.-.-

When Kado and Taura returned to the farm, it looked like a battle had just taken place. Taura stopped to talk with the Lopmon while Kado continued walking to where Nao was helping Jomei up off the ground. For once, Jomei didn't seem to notice who it was, or at least didn't care. Catching sight of Taura, Jomei turned to walk away. Nao caught his wrist.

"You're going to have to talk to her eventually," Kado heard Nao say. Jomei glared at the older boy, and Nao sighed. "Look, I don't know what happened between you two, and somehow I don't think you're planning on telling me. But whatever it is, it won't go away unless you talk to her."

Jomei pulled away. "I don't need a lecture about friendship, Naoko. Especially not from _you_."

Paling, Nao backed away as Jomei stormed off to a distant tree. Kado took a step towards Nao, but the boy turned and fled.

The four Lopmon and Taura had come up behind him, though they hadn't heard the boys' exchange. The girl showed no signs of concern or even acknowledgment of Jomei's absence, let alone Nao's.

"How can we ever repay you?" one digimon was asking.

"You don't owe us anything," Taura assured them, then paused. "Actually...maybe you _can _help us. We need to find a way home."

"Like what? We can't carry you," the smallest Lopmon pointed out.

Laughing, the girl shook her head. "No, nothing like that. We came here on a Trailmon."

"What's that?"

"I've heard of those!" the largest said. "Big, loud, obnoxious things, right?"

"That sounds about right," Taura said, smiling. "Know where we could find one?"

"Not a clue."

With a groan, Taura turned to Kado. "Your phone working yet?"

He checked, but the screen was blank, the no-service symbol flashing in one corner. "Nope."

"We're sorry," one of the Lopmon murmured, ears drooping. "We don't get out much."

"That's alright," Taura said. "We'll ask someone else."

"Ooh!" another cried, tugging on her shirt. Taura glanced down, smiling. "You could try the city."

Kado perked up. "There's a city? Where?"

The Lopmon pointed with both his ear and his paw. "That way."

"That's great!" Taura cried, beaming at all the digimon and then at Kado. "We're sure to find help there!"

**Next Time: "Knock on Wood" – The kids continue their search, but the greatest threat they face may be each other…**

**A/N: Well...I meant to get this up earlier, but, uh...Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep came out a week ago...and I may have already put in 30 hours beating Terra and Ventus's stories...hehe It's just too addicting. I didn't actually write anything since it came out (but I was kinda expecting that, which is why I wrote ahead...) I may just have to write some KH oneshots after I beat BBS... Because Terra is an amazing character, Ventus is my favorite KH main so far, and the story is just astounding. (Plus there's Braig and Lea and Isa to consider. :P) They won't be for a while, but if you're a KH fan, you can expect something in a couple weeks/months (depending on school). Anyhoo...until next time! Thanks for reading!  
**


	3. Knock on Wood

**Last Time … While searching for food, Taura and Jomei got into a fight and refused to talk to each other. A Lopmon enlisted the kids' help in saving her farm, where Jomei discovered the Spirit of Earth. He evolved to Grumblemon to save the day, but afterwards got into a little spat with Nao, and they both went storming off on their own. Will this group ever get it together and actually become a team?**

**Chapter 3: Knock on Wood**

_In the middle of the journey of our life I came to myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost.  
-Dante Alghieri _(The Devine Comedy)

Trees rose all around Nao, casting a sort of non-shadow that created an illusion of relief. In the hours since leaving the Lopmon farm, the group had entered a forest, where their eyes seemed to ache less. Or maybe they had simply adjusted to the light.

In any case, the trees struggled to be cheerful, hiding warbling birds and rustling softly in a breeze, but to no avail. The mood of the group remained sour as they shuffled along, Kado and Tapirmon serving as a buffer between Jomei and Taura. But Nao, falling behind a little more with each step, couldn't care less what they were doing; he couldn't care less about the unknown creature padding through the underbrush. He was too preoccupied with Jomei's words from the day before.

_'I don't need a lecture about friendship, Naoko. Especially not from _you._'_

_It's true,_ Nao realized. _What do I know about friendship?_

Nao sighed. He hadn't felt like this since he had moved. All he had to do was look ahead of him to know things were bad. Taura was mad at Jomei for who-knew-what, avoiding him like the Plague in an uncharacteristic display of spite; Jomei returned the sentiment, but was taking it out on everyone else; and poor Kado was caught in the middle, helpless to do anything.

_Even the Digital World isn't fair._

-.-.-.-

Normally, Kado would have taken this opportunity to ask Tapirmon about digimon, but right now he wasn't in the mood to do much of anything. With Taura in front of him and Jomei behind, the atmosphere was stifling. Taura's frame was rigid, as if the first thing to make a sound would receive the brunt of her anger. That thing, unfortunately, was Tapirmon.

"If I may ask…what happens if we _do _find a Trailmon line in this city?"

"What do you think happens?" Taura snapped, whirling around. "The same thing we've been trying to do since yesterday! We get out the heck out of this stupid world and go home!"

"Sheesh, Taura. You don't have to bite his head off."

"Shut up, Jomei! Or do you _want _to stay here?"

Jomei scowled. "We all want to get home, Taura. That doesn't give you the right to take it out on everyone else!"

Tapirmon ducked between the fighting humans and joined Kado off to the side, where the young boy had his arm looped around a branch like it was a lifeline. His face was pale, his brow furrowed. Nao had stopped short several yards behind the others. The last thing he wanted to do right now was get caught up in a fight with Taura or Jomei.

Tapirmon leaned toward Kado. "How long do you think they'll keep fighting like this?" he whispered.

Kado shrugged. "I don't know. They've never fought before."

-.-.-.-

It was Naoko who got them moving again. After ten minutes of bickering that elevated into irrational accusations, the boy had apparently had enough. He shouldered his way past Jomei, sending one brief glare at the kendo student. The contempt in the look stopped Jomei's protest in his throat, and as Taura brushed past him, he couldn't blame Naoko.

Mesmerized by a wisp of dust behind the gogglegirl that caught the light like a swarm of fireflies, Jomei's thoughts began to clear. He was tired enough from last night, and even more so from his earlier battle. It was no excuse for his behavior, much less some of the things he had said to Taura just now, but at least it was a partial explanation. Taura had no such explanation; she was just sulking.

Tapirmon drifted through the dust, bringing Jomei back to himself as Kado cautiously unwound his arm from the tree and followed the others. The young boy kept a wary eye on Jomei for a moment before catching himself and hurrying along.

_I'm not the one you should be looking at, _Jomei almost said. _Taura's the one who needs an attitude adjustment._

Why was she acting like this anyway? She had been the one to overreact earlier._ She should know me well enough by now to know I say things I don't really mean when I'm frustrated…_

It wasn't fair. This was all just a big misunderstanding. They shouldn't have let it come between them – both of them knew better. Jomei was starting to wonder if this world was really having a bad effect on him.

Needing to get his mind off Taura, Jomei scanned the rest of the group. His eye was drawn to Naoko, who was walking with his hands in his pockets, his eyes focused on the ground about two feet in front of him. He had been quiet all day – but then, he was always quiet, silent, even. No, not silent. Not like this. He'd been quieter than usual since they had left the farm. Since… _No. I'm not the one at fault here. Taura's weird today, sure, but Naoko's not. He's always like this._

"Tapirmon, where are we?" Kado asked.

"Why do you ask?" The digimon looked up in surprise.

Kado shrugged. "A … feeling, I guess. I just don't like it here."

Jomei felt something snap within him. "Oh, and we should listen to you because you're _so_ smart," he scoffed.

"I didn't say that."

"So, what? Since this is _obviously _some kind of video game, you're _obviously_ the expert here, right? And we should all bow down to your wisdom and hang on your every word?" Taura and Naoko were staring at him, but he didn't care.

"Look," Kado protested, holding up his hands defensively. "I'm just saying that something about this forest doesn't seem right. I think we should know more about it before we go any farther."

But Jomei was in no mood to listen. "I've got news for you, Kado. This isn't one of your video games! You don't know the first thing about this place!"

"I just said we should be careful," the boy whispered.

"I _am _being careful! I'm not an idiot, you know!"

"Jomei –" Kado cried as Jomei snatched the front of his shirt, nearly lifting the ten-year-old off the ground. A look of pure terror entered the ten-year-old's eyes. Jomei towered over the younger boy, pushing him back against the tree, noticing with satisfaction that he was far too scared to speak. Maybe now he would realize that this was real and start acting accordingly…

_What am I doing?_

Releasing Kado, Jomei stumbled back, struggling not to shake visibly as he felt four pairs of eyes watching him. The forest swam around him, blurring until the only thing he could see was Kado's frightened face.

"Jomei…" A hand landed on his shoulder, making him jump.

"Get your hand off me, Naoko!" He turned and barely stopped himself from fleeing, bowing his head in shame. Maybe Kado knew what he was talking about after all. Something about this wasn't right.

-.-.-.-

As Jomei walked on ahead, kicking up a small cloud of dust, the others followed, each with their own uneasy thoughts. Taura reluctantly took the rear of the line, eyes glued to Jomei's hunched shoulders.

_Something feels weird about him today._

As long as Taura had known Jomei, he'd been able to keep his temper under control. Whenever he got angry or frustrated, he'd go off on his own or talk to Taura to blow off steam. But then again, he didn't have Taura to talk to, and they were all stuck together – more or less – until they found a way home. Taura sighed. This was not turning out to be a good day.

A soft sniffle interrupted her thoughts, and she snapped her head up. Kado was hastily wiping his nose, trying to do so inconspicuously. Head turning slightly, Jomei's eyes widened as they fell on Kado, but the older boy clenched his fists, jerked his head forward, and increased his pace. Tapirmon glanced at the black-haired boy, but floated over to Kado. Taura could see Tapirmon's mouth moving, but couldn't make out any words as Kado shrugged and turned away. In his effort to avoid looking at the digimon, though, Kado's eyes found Taura. For a split second, they stared at each other, before Taura awkwardly looked away.

For several minutes, they continued in silence, interrupted occasionally by Kado's sniffles. Taura kept to herself, and everyone steered clear of her, wary of another outburst. She kept her gaze on the trees, which seemed to be steadily thickening, aware of a dull pain behind her right temple, but choosing to ignore it by focusing instead on the burning ache in her feet.

In front of her, Nao's foot caught on a root, and he hit the ground with a grunt.

"Nice going, Naoko." Taura saw Jomei wince as soon as the words were out of his mouth, but Nao had paused in the middle of pushing himself to his feet. Taura wondered if he had even heard.

"What is the city but the people?" he muttered, shaking himself out of his trance and standing.

Taura couldn't help but make a face. "What areyou talking about?"

Running a hand through his hair, Nao glanced at her. "Just…come on." He turned and led the way into the trees, high-stepping over the underbrush where it got too thick. The whole time, he stared at something Taura couldn't see, cutting a straight course through the forest.

The other humans hesitated, unsure what to do, as Tapirmon followed after his charge. After a few seconds, Taura folded her arms, harrumphed, and plunged into the foliage after him, not bothering to wait for the others. When a thorn bush caught her Capri leg for the third time, she had a sudden strong urge to kill Nao. _What in the Digital World could he possibly be chasing after? Did he hit his head when he tripped?_

Finally wrenching her leg free, Taura stumbled onto hard ground – some kind of concrete sidewalk, from the looks of it. Weeds had begun to sprout in the cracks, as of yet reaching only a few millimeters in height. It was apparent that it had been well-kept until recently. Taura glanced around, unsure if this was where Nao and Tapirmon had gone, but saw no one. She couldn't even see Kado or Jomei behind her. Paranoia setting in, she took off at full tilt, feet pounding the cement and jarring her whole body. She didn't stop until a wall, formerly hidden by the trees, came into sight.

The sidewalk passed through the only visible break in the wall, beyond which Taura could see buildings of various sizes, painted in vibrant colors. She continued forward again, this time at a much slower pace. Her determination carried her only to the wall, where she stopped once more. The sidewalk, four feet wide, entered the city with several feet to spare on either side, allowing for the entrance of larger digimon.

The brightly-colored buildings bore signs, some hanging over the street, some plastered in the front windows and half obscured by dust. Many of them were printed with strange, indecipherable characters, but some Taura recognized as romaji, identifying several businesses, such as the Burgermon Grill and Floramon's Boutique. A thin layer of dust covered the streets and buildings, and some of the signs hung crooked, their hooks broken and jagged.

Taura's heart thumped in the otherwise silent air. She glanced around, suddenly all too aware that she was alone.

"Nao?" Taura called, shuffling forward to glance down a side street. "Nao?" There, a few feet away, a particularly heavy layer of dust clearly showed a shoeprint. _Great, now I have to chase him all over the city!_ Taura strode in the direction of the shoeprint, alternatively surging ahead and dragging her feet.

At an intersection, Taura paused. She couldn't see any sign of Nao, or even any disturbance in the dust, other than little wave-like mounds. She eyed the broad cross-street warily, feeling too exposed in the open intersection. After a moment's pause she ducked across into the narrower side street and into the lee of a building. She trailed a hand along the wall as she walked this time, peering through the windows for any sign of life. Halfway down the block, a flicker of movement across the street caught her attention. Turning only her head, she traced it to a door, which was now bouncing lightly against its latch.

"Nao?" Taura approached and nudged the door open. "Are you in here?" As she walked forward, a door latched somewhere deeper inside. "Nao? I swear, if you're ignoring me –" The floorboard her foot had landed on gave way, pulling a large section of the floor – and Taura – down with it.

-.-.-.-

Kado, too, had seen Nao's footprint in the dust. He had seen Taura's trail lead across the intersection into the side street. For a moment, he considered following her, but he wasn't very eager to catch up with her. Besides, Jomei would most likely go after her as well, and Kado definitely didn't want to be near _him_ any time soon.

Still, there was no sign of Nao for him to follow. He could have gone anywhere. Pausing, Kado considered where the streets led. The street to his right would take him back to the city's wall. If Nao had come here to explore the city, he probably would have taken one of the other streets, and if he had gone straight, Taura would find him. Kado turned left.

"Nao!" Kado cupped his hands around his mouth and called again, setting out down the middle of the boulevard. It wasn't long before he found another footprint. _Nao. Now where did he go? _The stores were all abandoned, their doors closed tight. From the looks of them, it had been weeks since any door had been opened – dust coated the handles and had blown into piles against the bottom of the doors.

As he walked, Kado wondered if Nao was following something or just exploring. _And where did Tapirmon go? I hope he's with Nao. _On the other side of another intersection, Kado caught sight of a disturbance in the dust. Two streaks led into a building through the first open door Kado had yet seen, as if someone had been dragged in. Kado gasped. _Nao! _He ran to the door, but stopped before going through. He would have to be quiet. There might be a dangerous digimon inside.

The ground beneath him jolted violently. Scrambling backwards, Kado felt a large section of ground tilt sharply, and he was sent sliding down into a cavity below the store, leaving a second set of streaks.

-.-.-.-

It was pretty obvious where everyone had gone. Naoko may have avoided most of the patches of dust that would hold a shoeprint, but Taura and Kado had left their own trails. So Jomei, too, was led to the intersection where Kado's smaller prints led one direction, and Taura's larger prints led another. Jomei immediately turned right and started down the only remaining street, but then he hesitated. This would likely be the only chance he was going to get to talk to Taura alone. If he wanted to make up with her, he had to do it now.

Grimacing, he turned around. This was not going to be pleasant. But he followed her anyway, sighing. _Naoko had better not be this way._

If he looked at the windows on a certain angle, Jomei could see where Taura had dragged her hand across the glass. Rather than rely on her sparse shoeprints, Jomei chose to follow that trail. When it ended, he scanned the street, finding the same slightly-open door Taura had seen. Shoeprints led through it, but the boy was more intrigued by the pattern of dust around the door – whereas most doors and walls had dust blown into piles against them, here the dust seemed to have been blown away from the door.

"Taura?" Putting his unease aside, Jomei walked to the door and gently pushed it open. A large section of the floor was lying in a heap on a lower level. "Taura!" He rushed to the edge of the hole, preparing to jump down and see if she was hurt, when a voice stopped him.

"Looking for your friend?"

Jomei looked up sharply to find … a teddy bear. Other than a tan right arm and left half of its face, the digimon was colored a deep bluish purple. Red stitches attached its limbs and partially closed a rip in its tan arm, and a tube connected what would have been its mouth and a red heart on its chest. Top it all off with a pair of x's for eyes and two horn-like blades sticking out of its head, and you had one demonic teddy bear.

Jomei's D-Tector beeped and displayed an image of the digimon along with some information. "Pokyupamon. Viral puppet Champion…" Jomei sighed, looking up at the digimon. "I don't know what your problem is, but my friend is down there, probably hurt, and I don't have time to waste on you."

"Oh, I'm not stopping you," Pokyupamon assured him in a low voice. "Go right ahead." He gestured to the gaping hole in the floor. Warily, Jomei crouched so he could lower himself down. "But first…"

Jomei tensed, ready to evolve on a second's notice. "What do you want?" he barked.

"Just clearing something up. You know, before you go charging into a futile battle."

"If you want to say something, hurry up and say it before I leave."

Pokyupamon shrugged. "How do you know she's really your friend?"

Jomei rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to fall for that stupid trick. You shouldn't be wasting your breath."

"I guess you're right. Since you're so determined to find out the hard way, this really is a waste, isn't it?"

"Yep."

The heart on his chest flashed black once. "Well, since that's the case…" He bent his legs only slightly, but suddenly Pokyupamon was flying over Jomei's head, landing between the boy and the door.

"Nice try, but I'm not going that way." Jomei half turned to face the digimon, who just chuckled at the dry comment.

"I know... I am," Pokyupamon said. Jomei frowned. "But I wanted to give you a parting gift."

Jomei drew back, but his foot found the broken edge of the floorboards. A combination of foreboding and confusion tightening his muscles, he watched, helpless, as Pokyupamon's heart glowed black once more. "Madness Brooch!"

A thin stream of dust streamed out of the heart, glimmering in the light. With a forward thrust of Pokyupamon's paw, the dust surged toward Jomei, seeking out a place to settle on his skin or in his hair. Jomei steeled himself for the attack's effect, but the dust simply clung to him, a few particles drifting off whenever he moved.

"What –"

"You wouldn't want to ruin the surprise, would you?" Pokyupamon chuckled. "I have to go check up on the other pests, now, so you're going to have to go. Slap and Rip!" Silver blades extended from Pokyupamon's paws, and the puppet digimon launched into a frenzy, completely obliterating what little flooring was left. As Jomei plummeted, he saw Pokyupamon calmly retract the blades and walk out the door without so much as a backward glance.

Jomei's feet met the ground, and he instinctively bent his knees to absorb the impact. Straightening, he glanced around, thankful for once that there were no shadows in this place. The debris from the fallen floor lay scattered about, some leaning against the wall, some in the dirt of this chamber.

Since there appeared to be no way out, he turned his eyes to the jagged floor ten feet above him. "Great. How am I supposed to get out of here now?"

Announced by only an indignant huff, a wooden plank came flying at Jomei's head. As he dodged, he felt a rage ignite in his chest, bringing with it a familiar light-headed sensation. "Who's there?" he demanded.

"Hmph. Like you care, you jerk!" Ranamon said as she stepped out from behind a haphazard stack of flooring.

"Jerk? You're the one who just threw a board at my head!"

"Because you obviously don't care about me! Besides, I'm sure your oh-so-superior kendo skills gave you _plenty_ of warning!"

Jomei sent her a venomous glare and thrust a hand into his pocket. _So this is what Pokyupamon meant. I come to make up with her and all she does is attack me! _"Then _you_ should have plenty of warning for this – Execute: Spirit Evolution! Grumblemon."

"Fertile Fist!" In the small chamber, Ranamon had nowhere to escape to. Unfortunately there was plenty of dirt to empower Grumblemon's attack, which promptly smashed into the Warrior of Water's abdomen and slammed her into the wall. Grumblemon warily scanned the newly-formed mountain of dirt for movement, but all was still.

That stillness wouldn't last long.

"Dousing TORRENT!"

-.-.-.-

The drop ended abruptly with Kado landing painfully on his back in some kind of cavern. His initial look around found no apparent way out, other than the trap door, which had already closed. However, several seconds later a panel on one wall slid open, revealing an empty corridor. Kado look around nervously, but the cavern offered him no options, so he reluctantly stepped through the opening.

After a few minutes of walking, the ground began to slope up, gently at first but growing steeper with every passing step. Just when Kado was about to rest, he caught sight of a trap door a few feet ahead in the ceiling, which leveled off while the floor continued to slope upward. The door was too high for him to reach unaided, but some crates in the corner allowed him to climb up.

He emerged into the forest, trees rising surprisingly close to the trap door. It obviously was not meant to be found. The ground here was rocky and had a substantial covering of old dead leaves, which meant it would hold no tracks. And no tracks meant no way of knowing if Nao had come here. For all Kado knew, there had been another secret door in that cavern, one that had opened for Nao and led him across the city.

But he couldn't be sure, so Kado decided to try to find his way back to the city above ground. It didn't take long for his journey to be interrupted. A tan and purple teddy bear digimon stepped out from behind a tree almost as soon as he started walking, his strides slow and purposeful.

"Where do you think you're going, little boy?"

Kado took one scared step back before forcing himself to stand still and appear confident – all the video game heroes acted tough when they met enemies, and they always came out on top. "Who's asking?"

"My, my! You have such a sharp tongue for a little boy." Kado scowled but said nothing. "If you must know, my name is Pokyupamon, and I've already met your other friends."

"What do you mean?" Kado asked, nervous now. "What did you do to them?"

"Jumping to conclusions already?" the digimon shook his head slowly. "That's never a good idea. Besides, shouldn't you be wondering why I'm the one who found you and not one of your friends?"

"Duh. They're looking for Nao!"

"Nao! He's the one that got you all into this mess in the first place, isn't he?"

Kado frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He obviously upset Jomei earlier. Didn't you stop to think if that was the reason Jomei's in such a bad mood?"

"What are you talking about?" Kado demanded.

"At the Lopmon farm. Your problems didn't start until Nao went and upset his cousin. Well, except for that ambush he led you into right after you got here."

Kado found himself backing away once more, and when he spoke it was with a slight quiver in his voice. "H-how do you know about the farm?"

"I hear things every now and then. Digimon gossip, you know."

As his back found a tree, Kado took a deep breath to calm his nerves. When his legs felt steady, he moved to pass Pokyupamon. "I don't have to listen to you. I need to find my friends."

"Friends? What friends? To them you're just an annoyance."

"That's a lie!" Kado found himself whirling despite his better judgment, but his outrage faded when he saw Pokyupamon's glowing black heart.

"Madness Brooch!"

The dust floated around Kado, causing him to cough several times before he could breathe normally again. He immediately glared at Pokyupamon, but the digimon was leaning passively against a tree. "They don't think I'm annoying! You're a liar!"

"A liar, am I? I guess there's no way for me to argue with that." He pushed off the tree and turned to walk away from the city. "But if you don't believe me, your _friend_ Nao isn't too far away. I told him I saw you fall through the trap door and that you would be coming through the tunnel soon, but he didn't even bother waiting for you. Go ahead and see for yourself."

Kado watched the teddy retreat, but his curiosity got the better of him and he turned to chase after Nao. What started as a brisk walk soon became a near-sprint as the young boy dodged trees, searching frantically for his black-haired friend. But when he did find him, he stopped short. Nao was walking, shoulders hunched, barely noticing the world around him. He looked up once as Kado attempted to catch his breath, but only for a moment.

"You?" Nao chuckled softly. "Figures."

Those two words hit Kado harder than anything else thus far. He remembered the rough bark against his back, Jomei's anger coming through in the way he clutched at Kado's shirt, putting uncomfortable pressure on the young boy's throat. He remembered meeting Taura's gaze as Tapirmon tried to console him. The way she had jerked her head away once she realized he was looking at her. What was it? Irritation? Disgust?

_It's true, _he realized, falling to the ground. Nao spared only the barest of glances. _They don't care about me. I'm just in the way…or worse. _

A harsh laugh interrupted his thoughts. "Poor little boy. Did you just realize the truth?"

Blinking back tears, Kado cowered in the relative safety of a depression between the exposed roots of a tree. Nao was slower in reacting, turning after a moment and gaping at Pokyupamon. The digimon glanced between the two humans for a moment and laughed again.

"This is working better than I could have dreamed!" he exclaimed, a demented giddiness tainting his voice. "If only you two had spirits, my job would be done!"

Nao's brow furrowed. "What…what do you mean?"

Pokyupamon seemed to contemplate for a moment. Finally, he sniggered. "Oh, alright. What harm could it do? I was hired to take care of the Legendary Warriors, which I'm sure you would have figured out by now if you were thinking straight."

"Hired?" Kado managed, though the digimon almost didn't hear him. "By who?"

"Serpimon, the Mistress of the Volcano. And I'm sure she would be pleased with this outcome. My Madness Brooch attack clouds judgment. In digimon, it causes them to turn on their allies. But in humans it has a most peculiar effect. It seems to break their fragile trust in their friends over the smallest thing. Of course, one can already see the effects of having a digimon spirit in the rather violent reaction of the other two."

"Violent?" Kado whispered.

"Quite. In fact, it won't be long before one of them finishes the other off."

"No!"

Nao crossed his arms and turned away. "It's their own fault," he huffed. "Besides, what are we supposed to do about it?"

"What?" For a moment the three beings were silent. Nao kept his back turned on the others; Kado had gone pale; and Pokyupamon merely grinned. Then, all trace of tears gone, Kado stood and approached Nao, hands balling into fists. Pokyupamon giggled madly. "Nao…" Kado shook his head, trying to dislodge the hesitant tone. "This isn't like you. You've got to think! Pokyupamon's just messing with our heads!" His determined tone seemed to catch Pokyupamon off guard, and even Nao looked up in surprise.

"But…" Nao slowly met Kado's fierce eyes, his own green eyes clouded. "But they…"

"Come on, Nao! You know better than that! This world is putting stress on all of us, and we haven't exactly been treating each other like friends, but deep down we're all good people! You've gotta believe in that! Don't let Pokyupamon win!"

Pokyupamon suddenly leaped forward, landing so close to Kado that the boy stumbled backwards into a tree. "I think that's just about enough out of you, little boy," the digimon growled. "Slap and Rip!"

With a cry, Kado ducked and flung himself away from the berserking bear. "Kado!" Nao clenched his fists, concern evident in his voice, but he remained rooted in place, the lost, haunted look, still in his eyes. _He's still being affected by the Madness Brooch attack! _Kado realized, just as Pokyupamon came at him again. He threw himself backward, but tripped over an unseen root.

Blade-claws ready, Pokyupamon bore down on the helpless boy. "For Serpimon!"

"Kado!" Nao finally tore himself out of his trance and ran desperately towards Kado, who threw his arms over his face, waiting for his end.

A flash of warm amber light stopped them all.

-.-.-.-

Nao had been lost in a fog ever since Pokyupamon had called his friendships into question, and he'd had to force himself to pay attention to what the digimon had said after Kado arrived. Even when Pokyupamon attacked the young boy, Nao's thoughts had remained muddled, if anything _more_ chaotic with the heightened emotion.

But he had somehow snapped out of it when Kado tripped, becoming completely vulnerable to Pokyupamon's attack. _Kado! _The cry bounced around in his head and found its way out, even as he sprinted to help. In the recesses of his logical mind, he knew there was nothing he could do and that he was only putting himself in danger, but he ignored logic and ran. The light had stopped him in his tracks, and then came the fractal code, and Kado's voice stirred the leaves as he announced the Spirit Evolution.

What emerged surprised Nao by the simple fact that he was considerably larger than either Grumblemon or Ranamon. He seemed to be made out of wood, most of which was yellowish cream accented with thick orange markings. On the fingers, thighs, upper arms, and torso, his armor darkened to a rich mahogany. A thin space was left open for his eyes, two small yellow orbs. A pair of cannons was attached to his back, sticking up above his shoulders.

"Arbormon!"

Like Jomei and Taura, Kado's voice matured when he became a digimon, seeming to fit with the Spirit more than Kado's youthful voice would have.

Pokyupamon brandished his blade-claws. "You should not have Evolved, child. Your pathetic human body would have died quickly, but now I'm going to have to make this painful! Slap and Rip!"

The blades glanced off Arbormon's smooth, hard shoulder armor, leaving little more than superficial scratches. Pokyupamon growled and made another pass, aiming this time for his opponent's torso, where the armor wouldn't deflect his attack. Though the blades penetrated, they stopped short of a critical blow, unable to proceed more than an inch. Wrenching his paws free, Pokyupamon staggered back.

"My turn," Arbormon announced. His eyes had never left Pokyupamon. "Cedar Snare!"

A myriad of roots erupted from the ground around Pokyupamon, quickly latching onto the digimon's limbs to hold him in place. More roots laced together so that when they were drawn back into the ground moments later they began to slowly crush the teddy bear.

Arbormon walked slowly forward, the cannons on his back emitting a soft glow. "You're not going to be causing problems anymore! Tree Cannon!" A pair of wooden projectiles launched into the air, completed a graceful arc, and crashed into Pokyupamon, reducing him to a digiegg and fractal code. "Fractal code…Digitize!"

-.-.-.-

"Dousing TORRENT!" Ranamon shrieked, funneling all her rage into the attack. The flat, deadly disk of water cut easily through the mountain of dirt and collided with Grumblemon's abdomen, sending him flying. Ranamon emerged from the dirt, jumping lightly down to more stable ground with a smirk on her face. "Did you seriously think one attack would stop me?"

"Of course not," Grumblemon replied, standing up. "Sandstorm!" The twister formed around him, dancing along the ground towards Ranamon, who waited calmly until it was only a few yards away. Then…

"Aqualine Metamorphosis!" The jet of water quickly turned the twister muddy, but when Ranamon reformed, she had more than enough momentum to knock Grumblemon clear out of his attack. She landed smugly, a streak of mud running the length of her right leg, and waited for the Sandstorm to spin itself out. "Had enough?" she teased.

Suddenly something changed. It was like nothing Taura had ever experienced, and the only way she could describe it was that it was like a stretched rubber band being released to snap against her brain. Staggering, she devolved and clutched her head.

Somewhere nearby Jomei, who had also devolved, groaned. "What just happened?"

"I don't…" She gasped. "Jomei!" Running over to his side, Taura couldn't keep from shaking. "Are you alright?"

Jomei accepted her outstretched hand and stood. "Well, I've been better…"

"I'm _so _sorry! I don't know what I was thinking!"

"Me either," he admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head and seeming to gather his courage. "But I _was_ intending to apologize. I've said some things to you that I had no right to say, and, well, I don't want that to ruin our friendship."

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have overreacted like that." She smiled shyly at her best friend. "Are we friends again?"

"Of course."

-.-.-.-

Nyoko sat with her hands folded in her lap, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. Occasionally, she would lift her eyes to scan the taut faces in the room. In the fifteen years they had known each other, she had never seen Tommy this stressed. A small smile slipped across her face. _Except the day I proposed, _she thought.

Though the Legendary Warriors were still deep in thought, Nyoko was starting to get restless. At night, sometimes, she would think her way through scenes she was preparing to write in her novels. In high school, when she was just discovering her talent for writing, she had been able to imagine characters' emotions best at night, and the habit had carried over to her adult life. But her husband had been on real adventures of his own, and she couldn't help feeling jealous. He might soon be leaving to do something that would decide the fate of two worlds.

Nyoko had never felt more useless.

She stood up, gathering the dishes and napkins left scattered from lunch and took what she could to the kitchen. Some of the others glanced up at her, but only Hana followed.

"It's hard having a hero for a husband, isn't it?" Hana asked as they entered the kitchen.

Nyoko smiled weakly at the violet-eyed woman. Of all the people in their circle of friends, Nyoko felt most comfortable with Hana. The digidestined had been through so much that they shared a bond deeper than anything Nyoko could hope to develop with even her own husband. To their credit, they had welcomed all of the non-digidestined wives warmly, and never made them feel unwanted, but Nyoko couldn't help feeling like an outsider. Midori had gone to high school with Takuya and his friends, and Kaya had joined the group before even Kouichi and Zoe were married, but Nyoko had been only casual friends with Tommy until the others had developed much stronger relationships. Only Hana had come in later than Nyoko, and as a result Nyoko and Hana had become close friends.

"I write about adventures and epic struggles for a living, Hana," Nyoko confided, "but the closest _I've_ ever come to that is trying to get my first book published!"

Hana smiled out of sympathy. "Not everyone's destined for grand adventures. Not that _that's_ any comfort, but at least you know you're not alone."

A commotion from the living room interrupted their conversation. Nyoko leaned over just enough to see Tommy's hand curl around his D-Tector. Silently praying for his safety, knowing it wouldn't be long before he would need it, she turned back to the dishes.

-.-.-.-

"Jomei! Taura!"

The two friends had managed to climb out of the pit after a while, paused as they realized the dust that had previously coated every surface had vanished, and were just about to set out in search of the others when they heard Kado calling them. He and Naoko were running down the street, and it was all Jomei could do not to let his guilt show on his face.

Taura, however, was more observant. "A D-Tector… Kado, what –"

"A digimon called Pokyupamon attacked," Kado explained, beaming proudly as Taura studied the D-Tector in his hand.

"He attacked you too?" Taura asked.

Naoko nodded. "He has an attack called Madness Brooch that apparently makes humans lash out at their friends."

Taura stared at him, confused, then slowly smiled at Jomei. "Well that explains a few things!" Jomei managed a preoccupied smile in return.

"I bet Pokyupamon's been using it on us since we left the farm this morning," Kado said. "Maybe even longer!"

Jomei bit his lip. _May as well get this over with. Even if he is a know-it-all… _"Kado? Listen, about earlier…I'm sorry."

Kado smiled. "You don't have to apologize. It was Pokyupamon's fault, not yours."

Jomei shook his head. "It had to come from somewhere, didn't it?"

The ten-year-old seemed confused for a minute, but he smiled anyway. "If you really feel that bad about it, then I forgive you." Jomei smiled.

"Hey," Taura said suddenly. "Where's Tapirmon?"

"Ah, there you are!" The digimon in question, having rounded a street corner and caught sight of the humans, eagerly waved his arms (if one could call them that). The children hurried over, curious as to where he had been. "I happened to run into a lone digimon in the woods outside this city, and he told me he and the others who once lived here abandoned the city to hide from someone called Pokyupamon." At this, Jomei rolled his eyes and sighed. Pokyupamon sure knew how to cause trouble.

"Tell them they can come home, then," Kado urged. "We deleted him!"

"Yes, so the digimon and I have heard! But that's not what I came to tell you!"

Jomei waited for a few seconds for Tapirmon to continue. Finally, "Well? What _did _you want to tell us?"

"The digimon of this city are so grateful that they want to invite you to a feast and are offering lodging for as long as you wish to stay!"

Kado perked up at this. "Real food? I'm in!"

Jomei shook his head as Kado scurried off after Tapirmon. He seemed so young, so naïve, and yet that almost made Jomei like him.

"What are you waiting for?" Kado cried, surprised that the others weren't following. "Stop staring like an idiot and come _on!_"

_Almost, _Jomei thought with a grimace.

**Next Time: "The Crystal Castle" – The kids set out in search of information, but when they arrive at Seraphimon's castle, they find more than they bargained for…**

**A/N: Not much to say this time around, except that I'm now done with Birth By Sleep (LOVE that game!) and planned out a 15-or-so-chapter story for the KH fandom...in approximately 2 hours today...lol So I'll be working on that in the background. Won't affect this story (at least not for a LONG time; I've still got a good buffer zone on Redux), but if any of you are KH fans, stay tuned for more details.**

**~Avery  
**


	4. The Crystal Castle

**Last Time … The new generation of Legendary Warriors, in the midst of numerous arguments, stumbled upon an abandoned digimon city. It turns out the denizens had fled from Pokyupamon, who used one of his attacks to turn the kids against each other. Kado found his Spirit of Wood and taught the demented teddy a lesson! And what do you know? The kids actually seem to be getting along for once...**

**Chapter 4: The Crystal Castle**

_You know that children are growing up when they start asking questions that have answers.  
-John J. Plomp_

"Milady."

A black, forked tongue flickered out of Serpimon's mouth as she turned her massive, serpentine body to the figure that had just appeared in the passageway. He kept his eyes downcast as he dropped to one knee – the only one among her servants who knew how to show proper respect to the Mistress of the Volcano.

"Yes, Ryuudamon? What is it?"

"A message, milady. From our spies in the forest."

The forest? For Ryuudamon to bring it to her directly, it had to be important – the humans. "Yes?" she hissed, slithering closer to the Rookie. But Ryuudamon hesitated, his head dipping lower to avoid her eager gaze. "Get on with it!" she snapped.

Ryuudamon cringed, but nodded. "Y-yes, milady… Pokyupamon has failed… He is no more."

"_What_?"

Again the Rookie cringed, but he remained where he was, his reptilian lips pressed into a thin line. "He might have succeeded, had the third child not found his Spirit in the forest. He was caught off-guard, and –"

"He was a fool," Serpimon hissed. In her agitation, she began to pace the chamber, flicking her tail from side to side. Ryuudamon moved discreetly out of the way, but remained in the room, his eyes following his Mistress impassively.

She should have known the news was dire. Had Pokyupamon succeeded, a dozen of Serpimon's underlings would have been vying for the chance to tell her the news, in hopes of winning her approval by association. Only Ryuudamon dared deliver bad news to her, for he was one of a select few Serpimon valued enough that she restrained her anger so as not to harm him.

"I should never have trusted him to eliminate the destined humans," she hissed, coming to a stop at the edge of a crevasse. A hundred feet down, lava churned and steamed, and Serpimon closed her eyes, letting the heat warm her scales.

"Milady, if I may be so bold," Ryuudamon ventured as she fell silent. Serpimon glanced his way, and Ryuudamon bowed. "Allow me to face the humans."

Serpimon's eyes narrowed. "You?"

He nodded. "I know where the final Spirit lies. The children will soon be drawn to it. If we prepare an ambush, we can be rid of them once and for all."

She stared at him for a few moments, considering this suggestion. Ryuudamon was not like Pokyupamon; Ryuudamon could be trusted to succeed. And he was right - this was likely to be the best opportunity she would have to eliminate the children before they grew strong enough to defeat her. A smile spread across her face. "Very well, Ryuudamon. Prepare the ambush."

-.-.-.-

Nao leaned against the window in the room he and the other Legendary Warriors had shared for the night. He let his eyes fall closed against the bright light as a breeze ruffled his hair. Never one to sleep in, Nao was the first – and as of yet only – digidestined awake. At a soft creak from one of the four beds, Nao opened his eyes. The sound had been caused by Kado rolling over, but the boy appeared to still be in a deep sleep, as did Jomei and Taura.

He should let them be.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Nao shuffled out of the room, closing the door gently so as not to wake the others, and looked up to find himself in a small kitchen. The night before, the four children, along with Tapirmon, had attended a massive feast in a clearing just outside the city. The food had ranged from the bizarre to the bland, but most of it was delicious, and for the first time since boarding the Trailmon, Nao's stomach had been comfortably full.

Afterwards, a family of Ponchomon had offered their home for the night, insisting it was the least they could do after the humans had saved their city. The digimon – Champion ghost-types – appeared to be cacti wearing gloves, large sombreros adorned with maracas, and, of course, ponchos.

Their beds had been comfortable – and Nao's fears of sleeping on needles had turned out to be unfounded – but he hadn't seen a single sign of them since the previous night. He hoped they'd found somewhere to spend the night.

Combing his fingers through his bedraggled hair, Nao ventured out of the house and down the street. A handful of digimon passed, several stopping to say hello, or waving a cheerful greeting as they passed.

"…Hurricane Wave… Here it is… Now what about Beetlemon?"

Recognizing Tapirmon's voice, Nao stopped and searched for the source of the sound. He caught sight of the Rookie through a nearby window and bent down to knock on the glass.

"Ah, Nao!" the Rookie cried. "Come in, come in. The door's unlocked."

Nao did so, though he had to duck to enter, and found himself in a surprisingly tall room lined with bookshelves. Even the table Tapirmon hovered over was covered in old, dusty tomes that rose in haphazard stacks and spilled over onto the floor. He could see no chairs, no open floor space - though considering Tapirmon didn't have feet, he supposed it wasn't a problem.

"Whose house is this?" he asked. "And what are you doing?"

"This is my house, of course," Tapirmon replied, not looking up. "Why would I be studying anywhere else so late?"

"Late? Tapirmon, have you been up all night?"

Finally glancing up, Tapirmon frowned. "I couldn't waste the light, now could I?"

Nao was about to argue, but instead he simply sighed and dropped the subject. "Why didn't you tell us you lived here?"

"It hardly seemed prudent to disrupt the feast with such a trivial revelation."

"What about before?"

"I-I thought it would be unwise to speak in such a stifling situation," Tapirmon stammered.

"And before that? Weren't the residents of the city hiding from Pokyupamon for quite a while? You only met us two days ago. Why didn't you ask us to come help?"

At that, Tapirmon faltered. "Ah, well…Truth is I haven't been home for weeks. I went out to study some digimon I wasn't very familiar with and…got lost."

Nao barely stopped himself from laughing. Half a day's travel from his home, and he was already lost? Nao shook his head. "I'm not _even _going to ask. So what are you studying?"

Tapirmon gestured Nao closer and opened the book to the first page. All Nao could see was a series of circles and squares. He leaned closer and frowned.

"Uh…Is this supposed to say something?" he asked.

"Oh, right. This is written in an ancient language of the Digital World. It says, 'The Book of Knowledge: A Compilation of Facts as They Pertain to the Tales and Reality of the History of the Digital World and the Legendary Warriors, Et Cetera. Kept By: Aurumon, Bokomon, Tapirmon'."

"It says all that?" There couldn't have been more than twenty marks on the page.

"It's a very compact language. The history of the Digital World covers tens of thousands of years and is very complex. In the modern language, it would take dozens of books to contain all this information!"

"I'm sure it would…"

Tapirmon ignored Nao's dubious comment and pointed to one of the lines on the page. "Aurumon was a wise Bird-type Armored Champion," the Rookie said. "He was among the first Digimon to live in the Digital World, but he didn't begin the Book of Knowledge until after the Celestial Digimon took power and rebuilt after Lucemon's fall. From what I've heard, he knew the Legendary Warriors that were born from the data of the Ancient Warriors personally before they became Spirits again. Aurumon wrote the first portion of the Book of Knowledge, which contains information about the Legendary Warriors' Human and Beast Spirits, the geography of the Digital World at the time, and some of the Digital World's history.

"Bokomon took over the task of keeping the Book sometime before the first humans arrived. He added in information on the Continent of Darkness and the Digital World's moons, neither of which were ever visited by Aurumon. He also detailed the geography of the Digital World after it was rebuilt when the humans left. He recorded the adventures of those humans in another book, but I've never had a chance to read it."

"Why not?" Nao asked.

"Bokomon doesn't trust anyone but himself with it until he's finished making a second copy. Says it would be beyond catastrophic to lose such a literary masterpiece."

Nao raised his eyebrows. "Wow. Have you added anything to the Book of Knowledge?"

"Not yet. The Digital World was peaceful for a long time, and I had only just completed my studies under Bokomon to become the Keeper of the Book when the land suddenly changed. What is now the Continent of Light used to be part of a much larger area of land. I don't know how many continents there are currently, but I plan to portray each one as we explore it during our travels. Of course I'll have to record the changes in your Spirits as well. And I may follow Bokomon's example and write your story."

"So what are you looking for?"

Tapirmon sighed. "Your attacks. I thought perhaps I had mistaken those the Legendary Warriors used before, but I didn't. The attacks definitely changed. And the strange thing is it didn't happen for the first six humans, unless Bokomon simply didn't record it, which seems highly unlikely."

"That's weird." Nao straightened up to stretch his sore back. "Can you find any reason for ours to have changed?"

"Nothing. Unless the Spirits somehow evolved in the last two decades or so since they disappeared – about the time the land changed, now that I think about it – it's just an anomaly, I suppose."

"What were Arbormon's attacks?" Nao asked.

Tapirmon flipped a few pages. "Power Pummel and Blockade Seed…Why?"

Nao frowned. "Those weren't the attacks Kado used as Arbormon. I guess…I don't know. This can't just be a coincidence. Maybe if it was just Ranamon and Grumblemon whose attacks changed, but for all three – maybe even all four…"

"There has to be a reason," Tapirmon agreed. "Though I still haven't a clue why! For all we know, the Celestial Digimon themselves could have done something!"

"Who are these Celestial Digimon, anyway? Maybe they could help us."

"Seraphimon, Ophanimon, and Cherubimon. They took over as the rulers of the Digital World after the Ancient Warriors defeated Lucemon. They haven't been seen in several decades."

"What? They just disappeared? And who's Lucemon?"

Tapirmon gasped and pounded the table, making Nao jump. "That's right! You haven't heard! This is something all you humans need to hear…Where are the others?"

"Still sleeping, I think," he said, curiosity aroused. "At least they were when I left. Why? What do you need to tell us?"

As Tapirmon turned toward the door, the Book of Knowledge vanished into the cloud that served as his hindquarters. Shaking off his surprise, Nao led Tapirmon back to the Ponchomon's house, where it seemed their hosts had returned to make breakfast.

As the door opened, Kado looked up. "Nao! We were wondering where you went."

"I was at Tapirmon's house," he mumbled, taking the last chair by the table.

Taura blinked at Tapirmon. "You live here? Why didn't you tell us?" Nao hid a smile behind his hand as Tapirmon fumbled for an answer.

"Well…ah…you see…" Tapirmon cleared his throat and pounded the table. "Never mind that! We have more important things to discuss!"

Kado glanced over at the Ponchomon. "But breakfast is almost ready!"

Tapirmon waved in dismissal. "No worries! I simply wish to tell you a tale. You can eat while you listen."

"Aren't you going to eat?" Jomei asked.

Shaking his head, Tapirmon summoned the Book of Knowledge and raised it for the group to see. "This is far more important than breakfast!"

_Or sleep, apparently, _Nao thought, but kept quiet.

While the Ponchomon finished preparing breakfast and quietly excused themselves for work, the Keeper of the Book recounted the war between Human- and Beast-type digimon, and how Lucemon had put an end to it. He told how Lucemon had become power-mad, prompting the Ancient Warriors to fight and defeat him, losing their own lives in the process. At this point, Tapirmon fell abruptly silent.

"Well?" Kado asked eagerly. "What happened next?"

"Well…I'm not entirely certain. The Celestial Angels came to power shortly after the Ancient Warriors' sacrifice, and they ruled in peace for a time, but then something prompted Cherubimon to turn traitor and attack his fellows. This was, of course, when the first humans came to our world, but though Bokomon traveled with them for some time, he's recounted only a small portion of their story. I know that which is recorded in the Book – the names of the Spirits, and their attacks – and that the humans defeated Cherubimon, and later Lucemon himself, but… sadly, that is the extent of my expertise."

"What happened to their Spirits after they left?" Jomei asked.

"They became digimon again, along with the four not given to humans at that time – Ranamon, Grumblemon, Arbormon, and Mercurymon."

"Mercurymon?" Nao asked.

Tapirmon nodded. "The Human Spirit of Steel. I'm afraid I don't know anything else about him, save his previous arsenal of attacks, which seems entirely irrelevant at the moment."

Nao nodded absently, his mind on his Spirit. Mercurymon. _I wonder what it'll be like to Spirit Evolve, _he thought. _I wonder if I'll be any good. _For one terrifying moment, Nao wondered whether he wasn't really a digidestined after all. Could it have been a mistake? Maybe someone else was supposed to come - Ben, maybe, or someone from school. But he shoved these thoughts aside. He'd gotten the text message, hadn't he? And surely they would find the Spirit of Steel soon. It would be his, of course, and then he'd be able to help the others fight.

"What happened to the Spirits, then?" Tarua asked. "Why aren't they digimon anymore?"

"A little over twenty years ago, something happened. The Digital World reformed itself into what it is today – I've already told Nao that this continent used to be part of a much larger one. Though those of us who can't fly or swim across an ocean have no way to visit the other new continents. Anyway, about that time both the Legendary Warriors and the Celestial Digimon seem to have disappeared."

Jomei set his fork down, frowning at Tapirmon. "How do you know they aren't just on a different continent?"

"Excellent point, my boy," Tapirmon said. "Except Seraphimon's castle isn't too far from here – maybe an hour and a half's walk. Seraphimon was there right before he disappeared, along with two of the Legendary Warriors."

"Which ones?" Taura asked. "Were any of ours nearby?"

Tapirmon thought for a moment, but then shook his head. "If I remember correctly, it was Agunimon – the Warrior of Flame – and Lobomon – the Warrior of Light… Yes, Lobomon was definitely one of them, because I remember thinking it was odd that this became the Continent of Light when the Warrior of Light had just vanished."

Taura frowned. "I don't know. Maybe they left right before everything happened, or they found a way to travel to other continents and just haven't gotten back yet."

"They would have come back," Tapirmon insisted. "Unless the situation in the Digital World is much worse than I anticipated."

"How can you be so sure?" Jomei asked.

"Serpimon."

Nao's fork dropped to his plate with a sharp _clank_. "Serpimon!" He exchanged an alarmed look with Kado before turning back to Tapirmon. "She wouldn't happen to call herself the Mistress of the Volcano, would she?"

"She does," Tapirmon said, "but how did you know? It's not a common topic among digimon these days, and I _know _I haven't brought her up before."

Nao swallowed nervously and stared at his food. Kado, too, lowered his eyes, but took up the explanation before Nao could find his voice. "Pokyupamon said that Serpimon had sent him to take care of the Legendary Warriors." Both Taura and Jomei went pale at that statement.

"This is exactly what I was afraid of," Tapirmon muttered. "And I'm afraid we must deduce that all of the Warriors – and likely the Angels, as well – have been somehow incapacitated."

"What do you mean?" Jomei asked.

"The Legendary Warriors are very close to each other. If they knew one of them was in danger, they would do whatever it took to help - especially when you humans are involved. And if one of the Celestials arranged for you to come, which I would assume is the case, they wouldn't leave you alone with Serpimon after you. Not if they could help it."

Taura sighed. "Then I guess there's no denying it. Something happened to the Legendary Warriors and Celestial Digimon, and whatever it is can't be good news for us." She stood up, looking the others in the eye one by one. "We need to find some answers," she said. "And right now the best place to do that…"

"Is Seraphimon's castle," Jomei finished.

-.-.-.-

The first half of the walk passed in relative silence. Nao had fallen into step beside Kado, who had decided to interrogate Tapirmon on every possible aspect of the the Digital World's history. He was especially interested in the part Tapirmon knew the least about – the adventures of the previous digidestined – and the lack of information was starting to irritate him.

"So Cherubimon was a Celestial Digimon, right?" Kado asked, and Tapirmon nodded. "And Celestials are powerful."

"The most powerful digimon in the history of Digital World, with the possible exception of Lucemon," Tapirmon said.

"So then how did the digidestined beat him - beat either of them? I mean, the Spirits are powerful, but not _that _powerful, right? So how did they do it? Is there something stronger than a Beast Spirit? Did they get other digimon to help them?"

"I wish I could help you, Kado," Tapirmon sighed. "I really do. I've been wondering the same things for a long time. Unfortunately, the Angels and Warriors aren't around to tell us."

Nao sighed. "So unless the other humans get called back, we're out of luck."

Kado huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "You'd think there'd be some kind of sidequest for these things."

"Sidequest?" Nao asked.

Smiling sheepishly, Kado scratched the back of his head. "I know, I know. It's not a video game. But you have to admit, it'd be nice to actually know where we're supposed to go."

"Maybe we're supposed to learn patience while we're here," Nao suggested.

"And how to walk a lot without complaining!" Taura, walking with Jomei behind Kado, Nao, and Tapirmon, had caught up to them to make her comment with a wry smile.

Nao smiled faintly, sneaking a nervous look at Jomei, but the kendo student for once seemed almost cheerful. As he wondered why, Nao caught sight of something flashing through the bushes up ahead. "What's that?"

Tapirmon floated on ahead to get a better look. "Aha!" he exclaimed. "We're here!"

The children hurried forward to see a castle that flashed and glittered in the omnipresent light, making it (if possible) even brighter than normal. The entire castle was made of a smooth, shiny material that reflected the trees around it perfectly, making it hard to tell what color the material actually was. Six towers stood guard at each of the castle's corners, and the massive structure was topped with what looked to Nao like a steeple.

"Welcome to the Crystal Castle," Tapirmon announced with a smile.

"It's beautiful!" Taura cried, racing up the steps and placing a hand reverently on the door. "Do we just go in? It seems kind of… disrespectful, don't you think?"

Suddenly her D-Tector let out a shriek. As she drew it out of her pocket, it shone with a hot white light, which danced across the crystalline surface. Moments later, the doors swung open.

"I guess that means we do just go in," Jomei said. Taura nodded mutely and, slipping the D-Tector back into her pocket, stepped inside, the others seconds behind. The inside of the castle was made of the same material as the outside, but here it didn't reflect the light quite so fiercely. The digidestined walked down a long, tall corridor, more than a little unnerved by their reflections on each of the corridor's many facets. At the end of the corridor, they found a vast chamber, at the center of which stood a pearly statue.

"This statue depicts the three Celestial Digimon," Tapirmon informed them. Indeed, it showed two angelic figures and one that looked like a rabbit, each facing a different direction. Around the base, ten symbols had been chiseled into the marble.

"What are these?" Kado asked.

"The symbols of the Legendary Warriors." Tapirmon circled the base slowly, identifying each symbol aloud. Nao turned away as the Rookie recited, and walked the perimeter of the chamber. The room was decagonal, and eight of the ten sides were formed by tall, broad sheets of the reflective crystal. The ninth opened from the main corridor, and the tenth – directly across from the corridor – was made of a gray, opaque material. On it were two of the symbols that had been on the statue's base.

"Tapirmon! Look at this!" Nao called.

The digimon floated over, followed by the other three humans. "Those are the symbols of Light and Fire."

Jomei frowned. "Have you been in this chamber before, Tapirmon?"

"Indeed I have."

"Was this here?"

Tapirmon shook his head. "I don't believe it was."

Nao stepped up to the wall and rubbed it. It still felt smooth and glass, as did the material making up the rest of the room, but unlike the cool crystal, the opaque substance was warm. "Do you think it's hiding something?"

Taura scratched at the wall, then knocked a few times. "I don't know. Maybe… I wonder if it has to do with the disappearances twenty years ago." Furrowing her brow, she glanced at Jomei. "Think we could break through?"

"I wouldn't if I were you."

Nao whirled. A short, yellow-skinned dinosaur stood in the entryway. He was clothed in black samurai armor and a helmet adorned with a large garnet. His hand rested on the hilt of the katana hanging at his waist.

Jomei, Taura, and Kado reached for their D-Tectors but didn't activate them. "What do you want?" Jomei demanded.

The digimon bowed briefly and raised a hand for peace. "My name is Ryuudamon, and I don't want to fight you." Taura relaxed, and Kado lowered his D-Tector; Jomei remained rigid, glaring at Ryuudamon. Nao backed up against the wall. "Regrettably, I have sworn to serve the Mistress of the Volcano, and honor demands I obey her wishes."

"Serpimon?" Jomei hissed, already activating his D-Tector. Kado and Taura reacted quickly, also bringing their digivices up. As the fractal code surrounded them, they shouted together, "Execute: Spirit Evolution!"

"Grumblemon!"

"Ranamon!"

"Arbormon!"

One might have expected the digimon to show some degree of trepidation at the sight of three Legendary Warriors facing off against him – a tremor in his hand, a startled step back, even a slight frown. Instead, Ryuudamon remained motionless, eying the Warriors with calm disinterest.

"What are we up against, Tapirmon?" Grumblemon asked in a low voice.

"Ryuudamon," Tapirmon answered, matching Grumblemon's tone. "He's a Vaccine Warrior-type Rookie."

"Rookie, huh?" Ranamon smirked. "This should be easy. Vapor Trident!"

"No, wait!" Tapirmon cried, but it was too late. Ranamon leaped across the room, weapon held high as a triumphant grin split her face. Ryuudamon watched her come, motionless still in the face of her attack, until she was less than five feet away. Then…

"Iai Blade!"

Faster than the eye could see, Ryuudamon drew his katana from his saya. In an instant, Ranamon's Trident was reduced to nothing, and she stumbled back, clutching several new, shallow wounds across her midsection. And Ryuudamon simply settled back into his previous position and returned his katana to its saya.

Grumblemon's eyes narrowed. "That's iaido," he whispered.

"That's what I was trying to tell you," Tapirmon said. "Ryuudamon is a martial arts master! He adheres to the Bushido code of honor, and even though he's a Rookie, he's an extremely powerful fighter. Watch out for his Helmet Return attack, too."

Grumblemon nodded grimly. "Sandstorm!" Grumblemon careened towards Ryuudamon, summoning sand from nowhere. As the attack approached him, Ryuudamon gripped his katana tighter, but when the Rookie called out his attack, Grumblemon pulled his Sandstorm up short. Ryuudamon faltered, and Grumblemon took the opportunity to kick him across the room.

Somehow Ryuudamon managed to right himself before he crashed into the far wall, and as he landed, he glanced quickly between Grumblemon and Ranamon, who was just emerging from the shattered remains of the wall she had collided with. Turning his eyes at length to Arbormon, the Vaccine digimon seemed to be daring the youngest digidestined to attack. So of course he complied.

"Cedar Snare!"

The roots broke through the crystalline floor, wrapping around Ryuudamon's legs and reaching for his arms. Out came the sword once again, and Ryuudamon hacked away at the roots, seemingly unconcerned with the minor inconvenience… until he was distracted by another attack.

"Dousing Torrent!"

Ryuudamon glanced up sharply, his katana stilling for a moment – just long enough for Arbormon's attack to latch onto the Rookie's arms, rendering him immobile. Arbormon cheered, and Nao allowed himself a small smile.

But Ryuudamon merely smirked as the garnet on his helmet glowed red. "Helmet Return!" As the Dousing Torrent bore down on him, the garnet flashed red and the disc of water began to shrink until it was small enough for the gem to engulf it. Before the Warriors could figure out what had happened, the garnet flashed again and a red-tinted disc of water came flying out. It made a quick pass around the room, forcing Arbormon and Ranamon to the ground, then returned to decimate the roots holding Ryuudamon in place.

Ranamon scowled as she climbed to her feet. "How is a Rookie that strong?" she grumbled, brushing herself off.

"Does it matter?" Grumblemon asked. "Let's just hurry up and take him out."

"But how?" Arbormon asked. "He's so fast! His agility must be unbelievable!"

Grumblemon rolled his eyes. "Let me guess. Video games again? Arbormon -"

"Hang on," Ranamon interrupted, cupping her chin in her hand. "He might be on to something. How would you deal with someone with high agility in a video game?"

"Not you too!" Grumblemon cried.

Ranamon waved him off. "Hey, maybe he'll think of something helpful. So, Arbormon? How about it?"

"It depends on the battle system," Arbormon said, then paused. "The best way would be to catch him off guard, or use an attack with high accuracy. Area of effect spells sometimes work, too."

Frowning, Ranamon shook her head. "We don't have any area of effect spells, though." She shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to try to catch him off guard."

"How?" Grumblemon asked, gesturing to where Ryuudamon leaned against the wall, watching them plan but making no move to attack. "Whatever we try, he'll see it coming."

Ranamon grinned. "So we all attack at once, and keep attacking until something gets through! He can't keep up forever."

"Neither can we," Grumblemon pointed out, but Ranamon wouldn't be swayed. "Fine, whatever. Just watch out for reflected attacks."

Ranamon nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I know. Dousing Torrent!"

"Tree Cannon!"

Grumblemon sighed. "Fertile Fist!"

A disk of water, two wooden projectiles, and dirt in the shape of a fist rocketed towards Ryuudamon. The yellow-skinned dinosaur's green eyes widened for the first time, but he didn't panic. Instead, he bent his knees and jumped straight up into the air landing easily on the packed dirt of Grumblemon's attack. Ranamon's Dousing Torrent cracked the wall he had been leaning against, and the wooden projectiles burrowed into the dirt. Ryuudamon leaped again, the two attacks exploding behind him.

"Iai -"

"That's enough, Ryuudamon."

Without a word, the Rookie dropped to the ground in a low bow. The voice continued: "I'll take it from here. Wait for me in the Cavern."

"Yes, milady." Ryuudamon held his bow a moment longer, then rose and pivoted, hand resting lightly on his saya as he strode from the room.

Another digimon emerged from the corridor, flicking a forked tongue at the group before her. Her serpentine body was covered in black scales everywhere except her crimson underbelly. The foremost quarter of her body had distinctively feminine curves, and the face, too, was human – red except for the black lips, which parted to reveal a pair of white fangs. In place of hair, however, she had a black hood, like that of a cobra.

Tapirmon gasped as she grinned. "Serpimon."

**Next Time: "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary" – The Warriors face off against Serpimon, but will they emerge victorious?**

**A/N: Not much to say this time. School's keeping me pretty busy, but I'm making slow progress on my KH fic. It'll still be a while before I get it up, but I'll keep you updated.  
**


	5. Bitter Irony

**A/N: So guess what? This is a month later than I intended to update. Blame NaNoWriMo. Yep, I've written 50,000 words in the last 26 days (plus about a week of prep). That's almost 10 chapters! The bad news? It left zero time for this story. The good news? I'm back, and I'll be getting another chapter up in the next couple days to make up for the delay. The extra good news (at least for anyone who likes Kingdom Hearts)? I'll be posting the first chapter of my NaNo story on January 1, 2011. Still debating what to title it, but keep an eye on my profile for updates. I might even get a one-shot/sneak preview up around Christmas.**

…**To the story!**

**Last time…The Legendary Warriors set off in search of answers, and their search took them to Seraphimon's Crystal Castle, where they were attacked by Ryuudamon, an impossibly powerful Rookie. Now Serpimon herself has shown up!**

**Chapter 5: Bitter Irony  
**

_Guilt upon the conscience, like rust upon iron, both defiles and consumes it, gnawing and creeping into it, and at last eats out the very heart and substance of the metal.  
-Bishop Robert South_

Trembling violently, Tapirmon backed up against the wall behind him. Nao, too, recoiled from the digimon who had just entered the room. Serpimon. If a Rookie as strong as Ryuudamon served her, she must be very powerful. Nao glanced to the others, praying they would be strong enough to defeat Serpimon.

_I really wish I had my Spirit now!_

Ranamon summoned a Vapor Trident to her hand. "What do you want with us?" she demanded, scowling.

"What I want is you out of my way." Flicking her tongue as she slithered away, Serpimon chuckled. "But let's start with something simpler. I want to stop you from finding the last Spirit."

Nao grimaced. What would be worse, he wondered – finding his Spirit and making Serpimon angry? Or not finding it but discovering that three Warriors were no match for the Mistriss of the Volcano? One thing was certain. They were close to his Spirit, close enough for Serpimon herself to confront them. The Spirit might even been inside the castle.

"Listen, buddy!" Ranamon snapped, brandishing her trident. "I don't know what your problem is, but if you don't leave soon, you're gonna be sorry."

Serpimon sneered, one pearly fang glinting in the Crystal Castle's radiance. "Oh, really? _I'm _going to be sorry, when _you're _the ones who couldn't even beat a Rookie?"

"Ranamon…" Grumblemon warned as the Warrior of Water scowled. "Don't–"

"Aqualine Metamorphosis!" the female Warrior cried, disregarding her best friend. As the column of water jetted toward her, Serpimon coiled her body and waited for Ranamon to rematerialize. When Ranamon appeared, grinning triumphantly, Serpimon's body glowed with a crimson light that radiated heat so intense that Nao's vision distorted like a mirage.

"Reptilian Flare!"

Like a detonating bomb, tongues of red-hot fire exploded from Serpimon's body, melting crystal as they licked against the floor and ceiling. Nao threw his arms up to protect his face, wincing as the heat seared his exposed skin. The deepest red light writhed around its mistress, evaporating Ranamon's attack in an instant. With a cry, Ranamon fell to the floor, clutching her right leg as the attack raged on around her.

Soon enough, the attack dissipated, and Nao lowered his arms, wincing at a red welt near his elbow. Grumblemon and Arbormon, too, seemed relatively unharmed, but Ranamon was not so lucky. If not for her water, she would have been severely wounded, and as it was, she wavered as she forced herself to her feet to glare at Serpimon.

"Is that the best you've got?" she taunted with a light tone. "I'm surprised Ryuudamon still follows you."

Hissing, Serpimon struck faster than should have been possible for one her size. Ranamon threw herself aside, dodging the massive snake by millimeters and landing hard on her stomach as Serpimon cut her off from the other Warriors. The Champion's tail swept around, headed straight for Nao. Grabbing Tapirmon by the hoof, Nao ran along the wall until he was well out of reach, stopping on the far side of Grumblemon and Arbormon. Behind him, he heard a tremendous crash as a large section of crystal shattered.

Grumblemon growled as Ranamon skirted their enemy and rejoined the others. "Nice going, Ranamon," the Warrior of Earth muttered. "Get yourself killed, why don't you?"

"Well, at least I'm doing something!" Ranamon protested, crossing her arms. "If you have a plan, by all means…" Waving her hand dramatically, she stared at Grumblemon, as though daring him to make a suggestion.

"Guys," Arbormon interrupted. "Maybe we should–"

Grumblemon snorted. "If you'd waited half a second, maybe you would've realized she was planning a counterattack!"

"Guys…" Arbormon hissed

"Right," Ranamon scoffed. "You saw how fast she attacked! If we'd let her make the first move, we'd all be dead right now!"

Across the room, Serpimon stirred, circling the statue as a strange glow lit her eyes. "GUYS!" Arbormon shouted.

"What?" Grumblemon and Ranamon snapped at the same time.

Despite his visible flinch, Arbormon managed to sputter, "Don't you think we should split up so Serpimon can't attack us all at once?"

Ranamon and Arbormon exchanged a glance, mumbled an agreement, and leaped in opposide direction. Arbormon sighed and also dashed away, leaving Nao and Tapirmon crouching near the statue of the Celestial Angels. But before Arbormon got far, the glow in her eyes intensified, and she opened her mouth wide.

"Magma Fang!"

A stream of red energy burst from her throat, crackling across the distance too quickly for Nao to evade. He felt the heat radiate across his back even as he turned to run.

Thick, hard arms encircled him before he had taken two steps, and he and his rescuer hit the ground with such force Nao had the wind knocked out of him. Gasping for breath, it took Nao a moment to realize the nearly crushing hold on his torso had released. He was lying prone on the floor, Tapirmon a few centimeters away.

A roar of pain drew Nao's eyes to Arbormon, who was busy slapping at the red-orange flames consuming his body.

"Kado!" Nao gasped, clutching his side as he struggled to stand. At a chuckle, he turned to find Serpimon watching the pair with amusement in her eyes.

Ranamon and Grumblemon started forward, but Serpimon drove them back with a flick of her tail as her eyes began to glow once more. Gritting her teeth and clenching her fists, Ranamon's eyes darted between Arbormon and Serpimon before, thrusting her arms skyward, she roared, "Dousing Torrent!" Water condensed above her waiting hands and with a jerk, she sent the water sac zipping toward the Mistress of the Volcano.

But Serpimon was radiating too much heat – an after-effect of her Reptilian Flare, no doubt – and the water evaporated long before it reached her scaly skin. Serpimon didn't even flinch as Ranamon tried again.

"Dousing Torrent!"

"Wait." Grumblemon hissed, holding an arm out to stop Ranamon as the water gathered above their head. She glared at him, but her expression softened as he leaned in to whisper something Nao couldn't make out. Ranamon's crimson eyes flicked to Serpimon and then to Arbormon and with a curt nod, she dropped her arms.

The water separated into two streams, which swirled around her arms like sleeves. Grumblemon motioned her back and she retreated, pressing herself against the wall as Grumblemon stepped forward.

"Fertile Fist!"

The instant the attack was formed Ranamon made a break for it, sprinting well out of Serpimon's reach before angling towards Nao and Arbormon, who was still on fire, though he had stopped screaming. Instead, he had fallen to his knees, shaking and moaning faintly. Nao still looked on in panic, inching as close as the heat would allow him to get.

With a scream, Serpimon crashed into the far wall, thanks to a particularly large fist of soil, which contained more rocks than normal. As Nao watched, Serpimon's supernatural heat melted the dirt and stone into something like lava. As Grumblemon sent a second wave her way, the lava began to cool, forming a thick, hardened shell around her.

A punch from Ranamon caught Nao's attention – she was sending the water around her arms towards Arbormon to extinguish the fires. Though a few flames remained, Arbormon straightened slightly. Closing her eyes, Ranamon swirled her finger in the air. Simultaneously, the gems on her armor glowed soft red and a small cloud formed over her head. A point of her finger directed the cloud to Arbormon, where a steady shower doused the defiant flames.

A crack echoed across the chamber as Serpimon broke free of her stone cocoon, spraying shards of rock everywhere. Without a word, Ranamon darted away, leaving Nao, Tapirmon, and Arbormon alone.

"Are you okay?" Nao asked breathlessly.

Arbormon stood and gave him a shaky thumbs-up. "I'll be fine. What about you?" Nao shrugged, but it took all his control not to cringe. This was all his fault.

"Dousing Torrent!"

Welcoming the distraction, Nao turned away from Arbormon, who launched toward the battle seconds later. Grumblemon darted to and fro in front of Serpimon, delivering rapid kicks and punches that, if they didn't harm her, at least kept her occupied long enough for Ranamon to sneak up behind the Champion. The Warrior of Water silently formed a Vapor Trident, judged the distanced and leaped.

She flew behind Serpimon to rebound off the wall, which gave her a perfect vantage point from which to attack the serpent's back. In a burst of steam, the weapon penetrated the obsidian scales. For less than a second, Serpimon stilled, shuddering in pain. Then she hissed and writhed, throwing Ranamon across the room and forcing Grumblemon to retreat. She whirled to find the source of her pain, but was met with the sight of Arbormon, cannons primed and ready to fire.

"Tree Cannon!" A pair of twin projectiles slammed into her torso at close range, throwing her backwards into a wall.

"Fertile Fist!" Without the heat, the soil merely crashed down on its target, leaving her winded and dazed. Grumblemon and Arbormon closed in on her while she recovered; Ranamon stood poised to come to their aid should Serpimon attack. For the first time since the battle had begun, Nao allowed a relieved smile to creep onto his face. Despite the rough start, things weren't turning out so bad after all.

Then Serpimon chuckled, a harsh rasping sound, and rose out of the dirt to tower over the Warriors on the tip of her tail. "Foolish children," she cried. "You may have gotten a few lucky hits, but it doesn't matter! I will win this fight – just wait and see!"

A flick of her powerful tail propelled her past the two Warriors attempting to corner her. They whirled, poses revealing the same dread Nao felt rising. Serpimon slithered towards him, and he retreated against the wall.

Nao searched frantically for an escape. To his left, molten remains of the wall crackled as they began to cool. He couldn't go right, either, unless he wanted to be crushed between Serpimon's tail and the unforgiving crystal. And then there was Serpimon herself, looming directly in front of him, baring her fangs as she realized her imminent victory.

"Magma Fang!" Nao fought against rising panic as the roiling flames filled his vision. He ducked, throwing his hands over his head, and waited for the end.

A scream pierced his terror as Grumblemon cried Taura's name.

Nao's head snapped up. Guilt pounded into his consciousness. _No._ That one word reverberated in his thoughts as the fractal code peeled away.

Taura slumped, barely conscious, to the ground, catching herself on one palm. She bore no physical wounds, but her muscles twitched as she clenched her jaw and drew in rasping breaths. She slowly raised her head to glare at the reptilian digimon looming over her. The other Warriors raced forward as Serpimon raised her tail.

"No!" Nao yelled as, hardly knowing what he was doing, he sprinted forward. He would have expected it to feel like slow motion as he raced the massive tail to Taura, but it was over in an instant, with a heavy jolt to his ribs. It wasn't until he was airborne and glimpsed Taura, sprawled on her stomach, that he registered the rough, sweaty fabric of her shirt as he shoved her out of the way.

The torque behind his trajectory flipped him over and he caught sight of a crystal angel wing and his own distorted reflection rushing at his head. He clenched his eyes shut, unwilling to watch his own last seconds

-.-.-.-

Grumblemon didn't quite know what to be more stunned about: the way Taura had thrown herself in front of Naoko, nearly getting herself killed; the way Naoko had saved her life and taken the full force of Serpimon's attack himself; or the way Naoko, after flying through the air, had disappeared _into _the statue of the three Celestial Angels.

Then Naoko's voice, announcing the Spirit Evolution, echoed from the crystal throughout the room, freaking Grumblemon out even more. The roiling crystal statue morphed into an egg of fractal code that sat atop the statue's base. The fractal code eventually peeled away, revealing a Warrior clad in green armor: a peaked helmet and broad shoulder armor. A mirrored buckler was held in each hand, and another, smaller mirror served as a face, which was marked only by a pair of red lips.

"Mercurymon."

Of all the Legendary Warriors, Mercurymon's voice was the most like his human form. Instead of being decidedly more mature, it had only gained a slight medieval accent that was, undeniably, the same voice Nao used when reciting Shakespeare.

Groaning, Taura sat up and shook her head. Once she caught sight of the new Warrior, she froze. "Nao?" she whispered, dumfounded.

"Indeed," Tapirmon breathed, floating over to offer a supporting hoof. "The Legendary Warrior of Steel, Mercurymon. To think his Spirit dwelt within that effigy. Amazing!"

Grumblemon couldn't help but agree. Naoko had been less than three feet away from the statue and yet it had given no indication of the treasure hidden inside. If not for Serpimon's attack catching him at just the right angle, none of them would have ever searched for the Spirit here. Speak of the devil… Grumblemon warily glanced to Serpimon, who was trembling with what Jomei presumed to be controlled rage.

All at once, she hissed. "Insolent digidestined! You're going to wish you had never found that Spirit!" Grumblemon felt a queasy tremor in his stomach and crouched, ready to fight or flee as the situation deemed necessary. Beside him, Arbormon took a few tentative steps backwards; Taura, too, scrambled away from the furious Champion. Mercurymon, however, betrayed no emotion and stood passively with his arms at his side.

Serpimon surveyed them all, a smirk touching her face. Just as she turned away, Grumblemon could have sworn he saw a light enter her eye. Then, watching her head sweep around, it clicked. "Taura!" he shouted. "_Move!_"

"Magma Fang!" The energy paused for a moment just outside Serpimon's mouth, as if to torment Grumblemon further. Then it swirled and sliced forward to consume Taura and Tapirmon.

They were too slow. Everyone was too slow! Nothing could match the speed of pure energy. All Grumblemon could do was dash forward, too late. _Taura… _Fearing the worst, he slowed to a stop near Mercurymon.

Or rather, near where Mercurymon _had_ been.

He turned, confused, to scan the room for the Warrior of Steel, but to no avail. Soon, Arbormon sidled up beside him numbly, staring at the dwindling attack. It was then that a strangled cry broke the silence. Grumblemon pivoted to see…nothing. No Taura, no Tapirmon, no charred remains. Not even a digiegg floating off.

"What the…" Arbormon breathed. "What happened? Where's Taura and Tapirmon?" Frowning, Grumblemon wondered the same thing.

"Safe."

The Warriors of Earth and Wood jerked around, caught off-guard by the voice. Mercurymon stood there, calmly scrutinizing (as far as Grumblemon could tell) Serpimon's reaction. The serpent, having heard Mercurymon's declaration, narrowed her eyes at him.

"You," she hissed. "What did you do? Where did you take them?" The Warrior remained silent, but his lips quirked into a wry smile. Backing away, Serpimon bristled. "If you won't tell me, I may just have to destroy you all."

Grumblemon groaned. Although he was relieved Taura was safe and Mercurymon had apparently no intentions of revealing her location to Serpimon, he wished the Warrior of Steel would say _something_ to distract their opponent. Truth be told, the battle was starting to wear him out, and he knew he was better off than Arbormon. Much longer and they'd be helpless.

Red light exploded from Serpimon's body, more intense than before. "Reptilian Flare!"

Gritting his teeth, Grumblemon flipped backwards, landing in the lee of the statue's base. Arbormon, now too big to find shelter there, darted towards the chamber's entrance, but his injuries and fatigue slowed him. And Mercurymon merely raised his right shield smugly.

As the crimson rays streaked around the crystal base, Grumblemon eyed Mercurymon curiously. The green digimon was backing up slowly, bracing his shield with his other arm. But what startled Grumblemon was that the energy shooting towards him seemed to hit a lens of some sort a few feet from the shield, refracting into the mirror.

Arbormon cried out suddenly, drawing both Warriors' attention. A ring of fractal code spouted from Arbormon's body, which faded to a shadow. The Human Spirit of Wood glimmered faintly in the light of the attack. Focus lost, Mercurymon staggered back as several beams slipped past his shields and crashed into his body.

Finally, the attack ceased and Serpimon, a hissing in pleasure, slithered towards the fallen Warrior. Planting his feet, Mercurymon scowled and raised his shield.

"Stay away from him," he warned.

Serpimon paused just long enough to scoff. "Or you'll what? Throw your shield at me? Ha!"

Red lips twisting into a smirk, Mercurymon said, "I tried to tell you. Irony Shield."

There was a flash and hundreds of crimson energy beams surged from a point behind Serpimon, blinding both her and Grumblemon and searing the serpent's skin. When the Warrior of Earth blinked away the spots, the two of them were alone. Two pairs of eyes widened, scanning for the missing Warriors. Despite his shock and frustration that Mercurymon had disappeared – again – Grumblemon grudgingly admitted relief that Arbormon was safe.

Serpimon, on the other hand, was just angry. Once it became apparent that her easiest prey had escaped, she hissed deep in her throat and turned to Grumblemon. "Looks like your friends have abandoned you. How sad." She lunged, fangs bared. Internally cursing Naoko, Grumblemon sprang out of the way, but was too slow to dodge her next attack. Serpimon's tail caught his side and threw him across the room, where he tumbled to a stop.

His arms trembled as he pushed himself up off the ground. Only a flash of red and black warned him before he was airborne again, this time crashing through a pane of crystal and into solid rock. As the breath rushed out of him, Grumblemon began to panic for the first time. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest as he rose and warily eyed Serpimon, who at least had not yet attacked again. And though he managed to stand firm, he knew any minute now he would collapse.

Grumblemon gritted his teeth. _Naoko, where _are _you? Idiot… I am so dead!_

"I have to admit, human, I'm impressed." Serpimon slithered a wide arc across the room, neither approaching nor retreating from her opponent. "I didn't expect a single Warrior to stand against me so confidently. Still, I don't suppose you'll last much longer."

"I'm not beat yet," Grumblemon spat.

With a glib lift of her shoulder, Serpimon said, "Not yet. But honestly, you can't even dodge my attacks. How much of a beating do you plan to endure?"

"As much as it takes."

Serpimon's tone soured. "Defiant to the last, I see. I don't have time for your heroism! Now die! Reptilian Flare!"

A clang resounded and Serpimon slumped to the ground, a small, mirrored buckler spinning on the floor near her head. Mercurymon stepped around the unconscious digimon, smirking.

"And she laughed at my shield!"

Grumblemon scowled. "Glad to see you're brave enough to fight fair."

For a moment, Mercurymon didn't reply, bending instead to retrieve his shield and refasten it onto his right wrist. Then he said tersley, "I didn't exactly have time to do anything else."

Grumblemon snorted, but before he could reply, he felt lightheaded. He blacked out briefly, and when he came to, he was kneeling, devolved, on the floor. Mercurymon hurried forward, lips sent in a thin line, which made his expression unreadable. Large, black-gloved hands lifted Jomei up, higher than he expected.

Jomei crossed his arms and turned his face away from Mercurymon so the Warrior wouldn't see him blush. He couldn't help it; something about the position made him feel like a baby, and he couldn't help but wonder if Naoko was doing this on purpose to humiliate him. After a brief pause, Mercurymon started forward, towards an unbroken stretch of the crystal wall.

"Where are we going?" Jomei demanded.

But the tin can of a digimon said nothing and merely continued walking. Jomei frowned. When the pair reached the wall, to Jomei's alarm, they continued on. Even more surprisingly, they passed into the wall, which rippled around them the same way the statue had rippled around Naoko right before he had received his Spirit.

As his face approached the rippling surface, Jomei found himself staring into his own wide blue eyes. The reflection grew bigger, hardly recognizable because of the shifting furrows, and in an instant it all disappeared.

Jomei found himself in a black world, a corridor stretching out before him. Behind them, where the crystal wall had stood, was a large rectangular window that showed the chamber they had just left. Between the window and the black corridor ran a thin silvery sheet, stretching from floor to ceiling. It was in this strip that they were standing; though it seemed too narrow to fit them. To both sides, the silvery strip continued out of sight, though Jomei could clearly see black stone walls mere feet away.

Mercurymon stepped forward, and once out of the strip, the corridor was lit by a silvery sheen. After a few steps, the strip appeared again on either side of the passage, illuminating the floor with its unnatural light. The Warrior of Steel sped up, managing not to jostle Jomei as he went. When he reached a dead end, he plunged into the curtain and ran along that.

The rainbow glitter of the Crystal Castle zoomed past on their left, while a black wall hugged their other side. After a few turns in rapid succession, they emerged into another black hall, this one more open than the previous. Behind them, only a thin slice of silver gleamed, but before them, Jomei saw a large wall of the strange material.

Four purposeful strides brought them across the chamber, and another, smaller one took them into the silver curtain. Mercurymon paused long enough for Jomei to look through the strange window. Taura and Kado leaned back against opposite walls, eyes closed. Tapirmon hovered between them, floating slowly back and forth. Jomei allowed a grateful sigh to escape his lips as they slipped forward, through the same semi-liquid crystal, and out into the new corridor.

As soon as Jomei dropped to the ground, Taura's eyes snapped open.

"Jomei! You're alright!" she cried, scrambling to her feet and throwing her arms around his neck. Kado, too, opened his eyes, but remained sitting. Mercurymon devolved almost immediately and leaned heavily against the wall. Ceasing his pacing, Tapirmon hurried over to check the new arrivals.

Jomei shook his head groggily, focusing with considerable effort on Taura. "I'm fine. What about you? I thought you were done for!"

Arms spread wide, Taura turned a slow circle. "Nope. Most definitely not done for!" she giggled. Sobering, she leaned in close to whisper, "And you know who you have to thank for that." She raised her eyebrows and sent a pointed look at Naoko.

Jomei glowered at the other boy. "He only did that because it was saving his butt that got you into that position in the first place."

"Maybe," Taura shrugged. "Or we can pin the blame on Serpimon." Stepping back, Taura surveyed the other three. Kado had yet to move, and Naoko was waving off a concerned Tapirmon with distracted irritation. She spoke again, loud enough for everyone to hear: "So…we need to come up with a plan for the next time we run into Serpimon."

"What, don't you want to rush in headlong and almost die again?"

"Jomei!"

The boy rolled his eyes, but fell silent.

Kado groaned. "Do we have to do this now? I'm tired."

At that statement, the stress and fatigue that had been building within Jomei finally drove him over the edge. "Oh, _really_?" he snapped. Kado cringed as the older boy turned on him. "Then go ahead and sleep until Serpimon comes back. That way we'll be _completely_ unprepared!"

Kado's lip trembled, but he sucked it in. "I was just saying…"

"Do whatever you want!" Jomei shouted, taking two steps toward Kado. "But don't blame us when we're in the middle of a battle and you don't know the plan!"

Without a word, Naoko was there, standing protectively in front of Kado. He glared at his cousin, but quickly averted his eyes. "Leave him alone, Jomei," Naoko whispered.

Jomei paused, gaped at the Warrior of Steel, and crossed his arms. "Why are _you _protecting him, Naoko? I hope you're not planning another cheap shot."

Flinching, Naoko flushed deeply and bowed his head. Taura, a questioning look on her face, grabbed Jomei's shoulder from behind and spun him around. "What was that about?" she hissed. Jomei shrugged.

_That was low_, he told himself. He was letting his exhaustion get the better of him. Kado had a point – they weren't likely to get anything done in their current condition, but still…They couldn't just wait for Serpimon to attack again!

And then Naoko… Jomei couldn't have reacted worse if he'd tried. He could have backed off, could have kept his stupid mouth shut, but no. He had to go and insult his cousin. _That'll make him think twice about saving my life next time._

Jomei glanced over his shoulder to where Naoko stood, back to the others. Tapirmon and Kado stared after him. And to the other side, Jomei could feel Taura's eyes still on him. The kendo student sighed. He should apologize.

Turning around, Jomei opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a burst of static from his D-Tector. "What's this…?" he breathed, withdrawing the device from his pocket. Past its edges, he could see the others also staring at their digivices. Static filled the screen, flashing to a soft pink-tinted light sporadically.

"Greetings, digidestined," a feminine voice called mournfully from the four devices.

"Goodness gracious!" Tapirmon whispered. "Who in the Digital World is that?"

"Digidestined, you must listen to me," the voice continued, unabated. "Time is of the essence and I don't have the energy to maintain this link for long. I am relieved to see you have each found your Spirit."

"No thanks to you, whoever you are," Taura snorted.

"Young lady!" Tapirmon gasped, but Taura simply rolled her eyes.

The voice sighed. "I do not deny that I have been little help thus far. However, I will not apologize for that which is beyond my control."

Kado frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"More than you could know." All four children made a face at the cryptic, wistful response. Kado and Taura both seemed ready to ask another question, but the voice continued before they had a chance. "I wish I could explain it to you, but you are not ready. Nor is there enough–"

With a burst of static, the sentence was cut off. Jomei wondered if the link had been severed, more concerned about the information the stranger had meant to deliver than the significance behind the static. To his relief, the communication cleared seconds later.

"Already my energy is beginning to fade," the voice said. "Now listen, before it's too late. An evil digimon called Serpimon is looking for you, hoping to destroy you."

Taura frowned. "Yeah –"

Laying his hand on her arm, Jomei stopped her. Taura closed her mouth and nodded.

"She is the one responsible for a large portion of the misfortune that has befallen the Continent of Light – many of the hostile digimon are her servants, and she sends them to attack villages, cause famines, and…recruit more servants. It is of the utmost importance that she is stopped, and you, digidestined, are the only ones who can do that.

"You will find Serpimon in the Cavern of Fire, a large cave high up on the volcano at the center of the Continent of Light. Though my information is limited, I believe you are very close to the base of that volcano. One Rookie, Ryuudamon, is always near the Cavern; with any luck, he'll be outside and you can take care of him before you face his mistress. But beware, for he is far more powerful than most Rookies."

Taura pulled angrily on a strand of hair. "We could've used _that _information earlier!" she muttered, and Jomei had to agree. He just hoped the rest of the information would help them more.

The voice paused, seeming to choose her words carefully. "Serpimon loves to…take advantage of every weakness she sees. You four will have to work as a team if you want to stand a chance against her. Once you have scanned her data, it will unlock a new function on your D-Tectors, something called rendering. Within her fractal code a key is stored. Rendering this key will create a Trailmon line to the Continent of Earth. I will send a Trailmon for you."

"Is that where you are?" Kado asked.

"No. I am much farther than you can reach right now, but the other continents need more help than this one does. I'll do my best here until you arrive. For now, get rest. I know one of you just evolved for the first time, and the rest of you could use sleep and food. Be careful; bide your time. When you head for the volcano, stay hidden. Serpimon's followers lurk in the forest around its base when they have nothing better to do."

"Look…no offense or anything," Taura began, "but how are we supposed to trust you? We don't know anything about you! And how do you know all this about Serpimon, anyway?"

"Let's just say I know her better than most."

"…Ooo-kay…" Taura raised her eyebrows at Jomei, obviously unconvinced.

Jomei frowned, also dubious. "Will you at least tell us your name?"

"That's not important now."

"But–"

"Digidestined, I know you may not trust me, and all I can say is this: you will have many more choices like this one in the future. You must learn to differentiate between those who are on your side and those who mean you harm. Though it may do nothing to convince you, I promise I seek only to aid you."

Another burst of static interrupted her briefly, and when the connection was restored, she seemed more subdued.

"Faith. That is all the advice I will offer you; faith and courage. Believe in yourselves, in each other, and in your strengths. Have the courage to do what is right, and you can save this world."

More static.

"I'm terribly sorry." She paused, laughing sadly. "I wish there was more I could do, but I was not chosen to save this world. Best of wishes, digidestined."

This time, the static didn't clear, and it was only when the children lowered their D-Tectors and the screens dimmed that the sound faded. They stared around silently, taking in the stranger's words. It was Taura who finally spoke.

"That was…weird." She took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh. "So do we trust her?"

Jomei bit his lip, doing his best to appear nonchalant. "Well, since whoever-that-was and Kado both suggested it, we may as well sleep on it. We can decide in the morning." He quickly turned away from Kado's wide-eyed stare. "This seems like a safe enough place…" He glanced expectantly to Naoko, who jumped and nodded, blushing.

"Anyone looking for us would have to break through a stone wall and crystal to get here," he offered softly. "I checked the other end of this hall, too, earlier. It's the same thing."

Jomei nodded curtly. "Then we don't need to take shifts." That said, he shrugged off his outer shirt and wadded it up to use as a pillow. Stalking away from the group, he stretched out on the ground, back turned to the others. Maybe it wasn't the perfect apology, he told his uneasy conscience, but it was something.

-.-.-.-

Zoe and Kouichi strolled hand-in-hand down the street, watching young children fly down the street, older siblings and parents chasing after them. A small smile appeared on Kouichi's face every so often, but for the most part he stared at the sidewalk as it passed under him. Quite oblivious to her husband's moodiness – though with a deliberate effort – Zoe smiled wistfully at whatever she found to cheer her up. The last thing she wanted to think about was danger in the Digital World. When a young girl skipped by, holding the hand of her older brother, a small sigh escaped.

"I thought you didn't want the responsibility of a younger sibling," Kouichi teased. Zoe turned in surprise, blinking at his playful smile.

"Well I…now, hold on. You weren't there when I said that!"

"Really?"

Zoe slapped his arm. "Really! I distinctly remember saying it to try and help Kouji."

"Oh." Kouichi stopped walking, frowning. "How would _that _help him?"

Rolling her eyes, Zoe continued forward. "Never mind. It's a long story." She smirked. "Besides, who said I was thinking about having a sibling?"

While Kouichi stammered for a reply, a whine interrupted him and both he and his wife felt a new weight in their pockets. Kouichi reached into his pocket, but didn't pull out the D-Tector that had replaced his cell phone. Zoe, on the other hand, was clutching her own digivice to her chest.

"This has to have something to do with Nao," Kouichi murmured.

Zoe shook her head stubbornly, ignoring the feeling in her stomach that Kouichi was right. "We don't know that."

"What else links me to you but not to Kouji, _especially_ when it comes to the Digital World?"

Zoe didn't have an answer, but she shook her head stubbornly anyway. "He's not a digidestined! Maybe…maybe we're getting our D-Tectors back because something happened to our Spirits." Kouichi's expression darkened, and Zoe sighed. "I know it's not a happy thought, but it's possible! I mean, maybe Lowemon and Kazemon happened to be together and the others were all on their own."

"Maybe you're right…" Kouichi conceded. "But let me just ask you one question."

"What's that?"

"Did your parents ever find out about the Digital World? Because mine didn't."

Zoe didn't answer. Kouichi was right; their parents had no clue what they had been through as children. But their parents weren't digidestined! If the Digital World had called to Nao for help, she would have known...wouldn't she?

**Next time: "Into the Fire" – The Warriors take on Serpimon once and for all!**

**FYI: Mercurymon's shield-mirrors are called the Irony Shields, hence the name of his new attack.**


	6. Into the Fire

**Last Time…Nao found his Spirit, and the team managed to escape Serpimon. While debating what to do, they received a message from a strange digimon who told them where to find Serpimon.**

**Chapter 6: Into the Fire**

"_Careful with fire" is good advice we know  
_"_Careful with words" ten times doubly so._

_They didn't know where they were. They had come here together, the Warrior carrying the boy, but as they entered the darkness, their purpose, together with their destination, faded from their mind and they stopped, forgetting even each other as they took in the void around them. At length, the boy turned and drew in a sharp breath as he saw the Warrior._

"_Well, look who it is," he grumbled._

_Ignoring him, the Warrior turned to scan his surroundings. "Where are we?"_

"_What's the matter, Naoko?" the first boy sneered. "Too ashamed to face me?" The Warrior said nothing, still avoiding the speaker's eyes. "Come _on_! You know what you did was wrong. Why don't you just admit it already?"_

_Naoko sighed. "I did what I had to, to save your life, Jomei. I'm not going to apologize for that."_

"_You wouldn't."_

"_What?"_

_With an angry gesture, Jomei took a step closer to his cousin. "You're a coward, Naoko. You've always taken the cheap shots so you didn't have to actually _try, _and then you pretend none of it was your fault_. _I don't know how you ever became a Legendary Warrior!"_

_The Warrior turned, mirrored face showing nothing but a scowl to match the one reflected on its surface. Wisps of fractal code streamed into his hand and solidified into a luminescent sword, which he pointed at Jomei. The boy gasped and stumbled back into the darkness. For a second, they moved as one, step-for-step._

_Then Jomei tripped and fell. Panicking, he scrambled to his feet, but Naoko had disappeared. As Jomei turned wary circles, his eyes roved the darkness, fearing an attack – but fearing an attack even more._

_The flash came from behind him. Jomei didn't even have time to turn._

-.-.-.-

Sitting against the trunk of a tree, Taura scratched her leg absent-mindedly, wincing as her fingernails irritated what was left of the burn Serpimon had given her. Kado and Tapirmon milled about nearby, quietly discussing what to do about food, but as they seemed to have the situation under control, Taura had settled in to wait for Mercurymon to return with Jomei.

Soon enough, they appeared on a wall, appearing at first as a reflection in the crystal but quickly emerging as though stepping through a doorway. Mercurymon set down his cousin, who stalked away even as the Warrior devolved and stared after him. Glancing between them, Taura caught Kado's eye and nodded toward Nao. He nodded in return, approaching Nao silently.

Before Kado reached the Warrior of Steel, Taura turned her own attention to Jomei. He had sat down with his back against a nearby tree and begun to pluck blades of grass to tear them into tiny pieces.

"Hey."

Jomei plucked another blade of grass. As he wound it around his finger, he glanced silently at the gogglegirl. Rolling his eyes, he broke the blade of grass in two and turned away.

"Jomei?" Taura asked softly. "Did something happen?"

"No," Jomei snapped, dropping the grass.

The boy's hard tone surprised Taura, and she laid a hand on his arm. "Jomei?" He pulled away. "What happened? You and Nao were fine this morning."

He scoffed, standing to walk away. Taura followed, staying close. "Fine?" he whispered. "Things haven't been 'fine' between us for a long time, Taura. I just don't want to deal with him right now."

"Uh-huh," she said skeptically. "And which one of you started the fight this time?" An angry glare from Jomei quieted her, but her frustration remained, and after a few silent moments, she huffed and put out a hand to stop Jomei. "Something happened, Jomei. I know it did!"

Brushing past her, Jomei scowled. "So what if it did? It's none of your business. Just let it go, Taura."

"Fine." She threw a hand up in defeat. "Fine. Do things your way. I'm not going to stop you." Surprised, Jomei stopped and turned. "Just remember what that woman said last night. We'll have to work together if we want to beat Serpimon. _All _of us. Even Nao."

"This won't throw me off," he promised.

"And Nao?"

"He'll be fine."

Taura sighed and shook her head. "Don't you get it? We _need _him, Jomei."

With a sigh, Jomei glanced over his shoulder to where Nao stood talking to Kado. "I know. I don't like it, but I know…" Nao glanced up suddenly, and Jomei turned around before his cousin caught him staring. "Look, if things get bad, I'll apologize, okay?"

"_If _things get bad?" Rolling her eyes, Taura ran a hand through her hair. "Jomei, an entire continent is counting on four kids to save it from an evil monster. Things are _already_ pretty bad."

"It'll be fine, Taura."

"I sure hope so…"

-.-.-.-

"Ryuudamon."

"Yes, Mistress," the Rookie replied, hurrying in from the mouth of the cave. He quickly bowed to the serpent, who was perched on the edge of a chasm. Hundreds of feet down, a river of magma flowed sluggishly within the volcano.

Serpimon studied her servant for a long moment before she spoke again. "Any sign of them?"

"Not yet, Mistress."

_Odd._ Serpimon turned her eyes to the distant magma as she contemplated the news. After regaining consciousness, Serpimon had immediately returned to the Cavern of Fire, issuing an alert to her troops and entrusting Ryuudamon with overseeing them. _Why haven't they shown themselves yet? They must have left the Crystal Castle hours ago!_

"These humans…" Serpimon mused. "They're so strange."

"What do you mean?"

"I never know what to expect from them. One day they're seeking out my minions, and the next they seem to have gone into hiding. And then there's the matter of their elements…"

Ryuudamon frowned. "Their elements?"

"Yes." Restless, Serpimon slithered to a tunnel leading deeper into the volcano. "Come with me, Ryuudamon," she ordered, entering the tunnel. The Rookie followed.

"These humans," Serpimon explained, "these Legendary Warriors, each have their own element. These four children have been chosen by the Spirits of Water, Earth, Wood, and Steel. All capable of great destruction, certainly, but I expected them to show at least _some _signs of unity with their elements."

Ryuudamon hesitated a moment before speaking. "Unity, Mistress?"

"Even the Warrior of Earth detests getting dirty," Serpimon hissed. "He brushes earth off himself as if it were offensive. The Warrior of Wood ignores his element entirely – he has yet to do so much as climb a tree. And the Warrior of Water…Well, she has not yet had a chance to prove herself one way or another."

"And the Warrior of Steel?" Ryuudamon asked.

Pausing on the edge of a crevasse, the serpent closed her eyes to bask in the heat. Then, subdued, she continued. "In the Warrior of Steel, though, I thought I had found someone like me."

"Forgive me, Mistress," Ryuudamon said, "but what do you mean, 'like you?'"

"Although I am not a Legendary Warrior, I, too, have some slight affinity for an element." She chuckled. "But fire is unforgiving. Only the Warrior of Fire and very few others can enter it without harm. I thought that perhaps because of its nature, steel was something even the Warrior of Steel could not truly unite with. But after yesterday…"

Ryuudamon shook his head, apparently still confused. "But Seraphimon's castle is made of crystal, not steel!"

"They share many properties – a crystalline structure, a reflective surface… If that boy can pass into crystal, he can pass into steel."

"So what does this all mean?"

"They have no respect for their element, no gratitude for their connection to it." Letting out a hiss, Serpimon turned away from the river of magma. "Those little brats have no right to call themselves Legendary Warriors."

-.-.-.-

Taura munched on a piece of fruit Tapirmon had given her as everyone waited for someone else to start talking. She wasn't sure what kind of fruit it was, exactly, but Tapirmon assured her it was perfectly safe, and she had to admit it tasted delicious.

For some time, Nao and Jomei remained at a distance, too wrapped up in whatever had happened between them to venture close. But they were as hungry as the others, and eventually they had to give in and join the group, though they did so grudgingly, sitting as far from each other as possible and fixing their eyes on the ground.

At length, Jomei, apparently fed up with the silence, discarded what remained of his meal and spoke.

"We need a plan."

Taking another bite, Taura nodded. "I agree. But we don't exactly know much."

Making a face, Jomei pulled out his D-Tector and studied it as if hoping for another communication from their unknown guide. "Yeah. We have to make the most of it, though. There's no way I'm going in blind and just hoping for the best."

As the others nodded slightly, Taura furrowed her brow. "Any chance we can sneak into Serpimon's lair without her underlings seeing us?"

"We can hope," Jomei said.

Tapirmon glanced toward the volcano, whose tip was just visible over the trees. "Hope is all well and good, young man, but the only way to ascertain the best strategy is to get out there and see just what we're up against."

"Does that mean we're going now?" Kado asked fearfully.

Glancing to Jomei, who nodded, Taura stood and nodded. "Better than waiting for Serpimon to come after us."

Tapirmon led the way through the forest, sometimes scouting ahead for Serpimon's minions. Meanwhile, the children focused on keeping silent, sacrificing speed for secrecy. Taura would have like to travel at night, when the darkness would help to hide them from any hostile digimon they might happen upon, but this was, of course, out of the question. The Continent of Light was relentless in its illumination, so the digidestined had no choice but to tread carefully and silently.

The only good news was that the digimon in the forest were bored, bitter, and unmotivated. According to Tapirmon, many of them had been blackmailed or intimidated into following Serpimon, and few of the rest understood the importance of stopping the Legendary Warriors. As a result they were…less than attentive. In fact, most were causing enough of a ruckus that the group rarely came close to a camp before they heard shouts, songs, and general chaos.

Only once did they almost reveal themselves. One pocket of minions was disproportionately disciplined, not only remaining silent, but actually posting sentries in a large ring around the camp. A well-timed stretch was the only thing that alerted the group to the Centarumon sentry less than a hundred yards away. All five of them instantly crouched among the foliage, quickly backtracking. Ten minutes had passed before they ventured to straighten again.

Eventually they made it to the foot of the volcano. As the forest began to thin, they hid themselves in the bushes and peered at the barren mountain before them. It didn't take long to find the Cavern of Fire – it was the only opening, not to mention that the lone path led up to it.

The problem, however, was getting there inconspicuously. What they could see of the volcano was either sheer cliff or loose rock, and small cascades of stones tumbled down the slope every few seconds. The only practical way up was the path, which was guarded on the near end by a handful of dark shapes. And though Taura couldn't see and guards posted higher on the mountain, she knew that any digimon exiting the cavern would see their approach.

"Great!" Taura cried. "What are we supposed to do now?"

The children retreated deeper into the forest to think, glancing occasionally at the path. Kado seemed more on edge than the rest of them, drumming his fingers on his leg, and Taura wondered if he had an idea or was just nervous. Before she could ask, however, he looked up.

"I think…" he hesitated, and the other four turned their eyes on him. "I think we should just Spirit Evolve and take the path."

Jomei blinked at him, folding his arms over his chest. "What, are you crazy? The whole point is to get up there _without _drawing attention! We already have two enemies to fight; we don't need more!"

Kado blushed but shook his head. "No, I really think it might work. Serpimon probably just told them to stop any humans they saw, and they probably don't even know what our Spirits look like. We haven't even been here that long."

Nodding slowly, Taura began to smile. "I see what you're saying. We'll bluff our way through. Act like we're supposed to be there and make them think they'll get in trouble with Serpimon if they don't let us through!"

Kado nodded eagerly. "Then we beat Ryuudamon as fast as we can and hurry inside to face Serpimon. With them out of the way, most of Serpimon's minions will give up and go home. It's not like they really _want _to help her, right?"

"That's brilliant, Kado!" Taura beamed at the young boy, who smiled sheepishly in return.

Jomei seemed less enthusiastic about the plan, but he didn't seem to have a better idea. As the others raised their D-Tectors, he sighed and joined them.

"Execute: Spirit Evolution!"

"Ranamon!"

"Grumblemon!"

"Arbormon!"

"Mercurymon!"

The Warriors crouched in the brush near the path, hearts pounding. If Kado's suspicions were wrong, they would be in a lot of trouble. Two dinosaur-like digimon stood by the path, dull eyes scanning the forest.

"Those are Tyrannomon," Tapirmon whispered. "Data Champions. Thankfully, they aren't terribly sharp, but if you make them angry, they pack quite a wallop."

Ranamon frowned. "Then let's not make them angry. Come on." Leading the way, the Warrior of Water burst out of their hiding places and made a beeline for the path. The others followed less confidently. Ranamon was almost past the large digimon by the time they reacted, but once they noticed her, they shuffled sideways to block the path.

"Who are you?" one growled.

Harrumphing, Ranamon glared up at the Tyrannomon who had spoken. "Isn't it obvious?" she spat. "We're Serpimon's followers, just like you!"

The two dinosaurs exchanged a glance. "I don't recognize you," the second one said.

"So?" Ranamon crossed her arms. "It doesn't matter if _you _recognize us. It's Serpimon who you're going to have to answer to if we deliver our message too late."

The first Tyrannomon leaned in closer, scrutinizing the Warrior of Water. "What kind of message takes five digimon to deliver it?"

"Why should I tell you? This information is for Serpimon's ears only! Now quit wasting our time; this is urgent!" Not waiting for a response, Ranamon shoved her way between the pair and started up the mountain. After exchanging only a brief glance, the Tyrannomon nodded to each other and backed up to allow the remaining four to pass.

"Well that was easy," Grumblemon muttered, leaping up the path alongside Ranamon.

"No kidding!" she replied. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed that Tapirmon was already falling behind. "Tapirmon!" she called. "We're going to go on ahead! I want to get there before Ryuudamon warns Serpimon. Catch up when you can!" That said, the Warriors surged ahead, quickly pulling away from Tapirmon.

The trail zigzagged up the volcano, but the Warriors made quick work of it, cutting corners where they could. They kept a wary eye on the small platform just outside the Cavern's entrance. Ryuudamon was nowhere to be seen, and that had all the Warriors worried. Where was he?

Then, just as they leaped onto the highest stretch of the path, the Rookie dinosaur emerged from the cave, freezing as he caught sight of the Warriors. His green eyes flicked from one to the other, towards the forest-end of the trail, and back to the Warriors. Keeping his gaze focused on his foes, he turned slightly towards the cave and opened his mouth.

"Oh, no you don't," Ranamon muttered. "Aqualine Metamorphosis!" The column of water covered the remaining distance in a flash, preventing Ryuudamon from calling out to Serpimon. Instead, he chose to counter the attack.

"Iai Blade!"

The katana sliced cleanly through the water and…nothing else. Surprised, Ryuudamon stumbled forward slightly. Having rematerialized from the water that had passed the Rookie, Ranamon whirled and delivered a roundhouse kick to Ryuudamon's face as he turned. When he went flying, she couldn't keep a smirk off her face.

"You might want to wait for me to reform next time," she taunted.

"Ranamon," Grumblemon admonished. The Warrior of Water shrugged and charged back into battle. Shaking his head, Grumblemon followed suit, as did the other two Warriors. "Fertile Fist!"

"Cedar Snare!"

"Vapor Trident!"

As Grumblemon's attack soared toward Ryuudamon, a mess of roots sprouted from the ground and gripped the Rookie tightly. Ranamon, sprinting forward, leaped into the air and rebounded off the soil for extra height. The mound of earth bore down on Ryuudamon before he could free himself from the roots, and he was lost to sight. By this time, Ranamon had reached the peak of her jump and began to fall towards the mound of soil, Vapor Trident aimed down. Throwing the weapon from a few feet above the soil, the female Warrior performed a back flip to land on solid rock.

As she landed in a crouch, a starburst of red light erupted from the pile of soil, scattering it. With a cry of, "Helmet Return!" a red-tinted Vapor Trident flew straight for Ranamon's back.

Even as Ranamon's crimson eyes widened, Mercurymon, who had been waiting to the side for an opening, darted in front of her. "Irony Shield," he said, raising his right shield. The trident entered the shield, much to Ryuudamon's surprise.

A look of respect, even admiration, entered the Rookie's eyes. "That is quite the trick, Mercurymon," he nodded. The Warrior of Steel's lips remained set in a tight frown. With a flash, the trident reemerged to Ryuudamon's left, eliciting a sharp hiss from him as he dodged. The reflected attack continued on, and Grumblemon was forced to leap aside to avoid being skewered.

"Watch in, Naoko!" the diminutive Warrior snapped, glaring. Mercurymon didn't respond.

Crouching on a nearby boulder, Ryuudamon surveyed his opponents. The four Warriors faced him, ready for whatever he might throw at them. Focused as they were, none of them noticed the digimon approaching from behind until she spoke:

"Well if it isn't the Legendary Warriors," Serpimon hissed. The foursome whirled, recoiling from the new threat. "How did you manage to get up here, I wonder?"

Ranamon snorted. "It's your own fault for having such worthless minions."

The Mistress of the Volcano scowled. "If you're so eager to die, why don't you come over here and fight me?"

"I think I will!"

Arbormon glanced at their other opponent. "What about Ryuudamon?" he asked.

"I'll handle him," Mercurymon said. "You guys focus on Serpimon."

"What makes you think you can fight him alone?" Grumblemon scowled, glaring at the Warrior of Steel. "The three of us had a hard enough time yesterday."

"Mercurymon can reflect attacks, just like Ryuudamon can," Arbormon pointed out. "If any of us can do it, it's Mercurymon."

With a backward glance, Ranamon groaned. "We don't have time to argue, guys. Just hurry up and help me!"

"Yes, please," Serpimon taunted. "I'm getting bored over here. Why don't I give you some incentive? Magma Fang!" The superheated energy stream rocketed for the knot of digimon, forcing everyone, even Ryuudamon, to leap for safety. When Serpimon ceased the attack, all that remained was a charred and smoldering strip of mountain and four very angry Warriors.

Without further protest, Arbormon and Grumblemon charged at Serpimon, leaving Mercurymon to face off with Ryuudamon. The trio wasted no time in attacking the Champion digimon, immediately launching their most powerful attacks:

"Tree Cannon!"

"Sandstorm!"

"Aqualine Metamorphosis!"

Ranamon willed herself to go faster than ever before, slamming into Serpimon before she had a chance to initiate a counter attack. As Ranamon danced back, Grumblemon's attack connected, sending the serpent sliding back – and right into a pair of wooden projectiles. With a furious scream, Serpimon lashed out with her tail, knocking Grumblemon and Ranamon over before she sprang at Arbormon.

-.-.-.-

"Iai Blade!"

Mercurymon raised his shields to block the flurry of cuts, suddenly less-than-confident in his ability to fight Ryuudamon alone. The Rookie attacked relentlessly, always striking from a new angle while maintaining a constant barrage to keep Mercurymon off balance. Just when the Warrior of Steel thought Ryuudamon had run out of tricks, the katana sliced up between the shields, driving his arms apart so that his torso was wide open.

Not wasting a second, the dinosaur moved in closer. With every blow, Mercurymon staggered back a little more, unable to raise his shields with the light blade moving so rapidly. Finally, desperate, the Warrior tapped into his Spirit's instincts and utilized another attack.

"Alchemy Blade!" he cried, and the plentiful light responded, condensing into a large, simple broadsword. The weapon was finally able to halt Ryuudamon's assault, turning the katana aside. Mercurymon, however, didn't press his advantage, instead lifting the newly-formed sword with trembling hands. He turned with a jerk to meet Grumblemon's wide-eyed stare, which slowly transformed into a scowl. Mercurymon looked back at the sword, and neither Warrior seemed able to tear his eyes off it.

"Magma Fang!"

"Iai Blade!"

Until a fresh round of attacks sent them tumbling across the battlefield, that is.

-.-.-.-

"Dousing Torrent!" Having already sustained several painful burns and bruises, Ranamon was careful to stay as far away from Serpimon as possible. Arbormon, too, was attacking from a distance, although he was having considerably more success with this tactic since both of his abilities were ranged attacks while only one of Ranamon's was. All too often, Serpimon would see the attack coming and the disk of water would miss its mark. Luckily, this was not one of those times.

Serpimon had been going after Grumblemon while he was down, and so she hadn't seen Ranamon's attack coming. When it crashed into her from behind, she found herself face-planting in a pile of dirt left over from one of the Warrior of Earth's attacks.

"Cedar Snare!"

A net of roots intertwined over the reptilian digimon's head, constricting before she recovered. Ranamon took the opportunity to dart forward, Vapor Trident in hand, and thrust her weapon into Serpimon's tail. Shrieking, Serpimon thrashed violently until the roots around her were obliterated.

After jumping clear of the writhing digimon, Ranamon helped a stunned Grumblemon to his feet. He quickly shook his head to clear it, refocusing on the battle at hand and sent his best friend a grateful look. She was about to ask what had distracted him, but Serpimon chose that moment to strike, and the Warriors sprang in opposite directions.

The Warrior of Water found herself near Arbormon and a plan formed in her mind. Catching Grumblemon's eye, she indicated Serpimon with a flick of her eyes and twirled her finger in the air. Grumblemon frowned at first, but then he seemed to understand and nodded. She nodded back and scooted closer to Arbormon to whisper her plan in his ear. Seconds later, they put the plan into action.

"Tree Cannon!"

With little more than a hiss, Serpimon slithered to the side as the projectiles exploded on the rock next to her.

"Dousing Torrent!"

This Serpimon did not expect and she dodged much more narrowly. _There! _Ranamon thought excitedly. She glanced up at Grumblemon, but he had already taken the opportunity.

"Sandstorm!" As close as she was to the Warrior of Earth, Serpimon didn't have time to evade, and took the attack full-force.

-.-.-.-

Mercurymon and Ryuudamon circled each other warily, the former with his shields raised and the latter with a hand on the hilt of his katana. The Warrior caught sight of Ranamon's attack as is sailed toward him, pivoting quickly to absorb it into his shield. Not about to let an opening pass, Ryuudamon charged forward while his opponent was distracted.

"Iai Blade!"

Mercurymon managed to sidestep at the last second, but completed his reflection of Ranamon's attack before Ryuudamon had a chance to attack again. "Irony Shield!" This time the attack reappeared directly below its target, and even with his lightning-fast reflexes, Ryuudamon didn't escape unscathed. The force of the blast flipped him over once as he flew back. When he landed, he was slightly off balance, favoring one leg.

Well aware of the second, more crucial battle taking place only a few feet away, Mercurymon charged another attack while Ryuudamon recovered, hoping to end the match quickly. Light gathered in front of his right mirror, taking the shape of a myriad of small shards as if a great, luminous mirror had just been shattered.

"Steel Alloy!" the Warrior cried, sending the shards flying at the tiring Rookie, whose eyes widened.

"H-Helmet Return!" he stammered. Many of the glowing fragments were absorbed by the garnet, but many more made it through, peppering the dinosaur's skin and armor. When the last of the shards had flown its course, Ryuudamon stood in noticeably worse condition, but was still able to fight.

"I am…impressed," Ryuudamon wheezed. "You are very strong. But honor demands that I fight to the end for my Mistress." The garnet glowed bright red.

"Wait!" Mercurymon cried. "You don't have to–"

Before he could get any further, Serpimon's servant released his own barrage of reddish shards. "Helmet Return!"

"Reptilian Flare!"

Mercurymon tensed as he turned to see a wall of red rays surging toward him. Already he could hear the other's grunts and cries, but all he could do was raise his shields, one to intercept his own reflected attack and one to block Serpimon's. With any luck, he'd be able to absorb most of the attacks in his shields.

He wasn't prepared for the force. On one side, he had a hundred pinpricks that, being his own element, caused tolerable damage but tore through his concentration. On the other side, he had the intense heat of the Reptilian Flare, causing his whole body – considering it was made of metal and conducted heat very liberally – to feel like it was on fire. Grunting, he took several slow steps backward, feeling the absorbed energy pulsing within him. He didn't know how much longer he could contain it.

At length, the assault ceased. Mercurymon barely gave himself time to feel relieved. The energy within him was fighting to be released, and it was making it hard to think clearly.

"Irony Shield!" he gasped. Two flashes of light. Two reflected attacks blossomed. Scarlet beams pummeled Ryuudamon head-on, pounding him into the side of the volcano. Nearby, red-tinted shards imbedded themselves in Serpimon from above. Taking advantage of the distraction, the other Warriors fired off another round of attacks.

"Dousing Torrent!"

"Sandstorm!"

"Tree Cannon!"

Ryuudamon fell, unconscious, from the indentation he had made in the wall. His body faded to black, and Mercurymon didn't have to wait for the fractal code to appear to know that this part of the battle, at least, was over. He raised his D-Tector.

As he moved to scan Ryuudamon's data, however, he faltered. Turning to glance at Grumblemon, Mercurymon's shoulders slumped and he lowered the D-Tector. He turned away before he could change his mind and gathered himself for the remainder of the battle. Now that the heat of Serpimon's attack was dispersing, the Warrior of Steel was in considerably less pain, but his armor was still in poor condition from Ryuudamon's katana, and he knew he would be unable to move as quickly as he could have if he was starting the battle fresh.

Regardless of his condition, Mercurymon reminded himself, he had to help the others defeat Serpimon. They were so close now; they _could _win this.

-.-.-.-

As he landed after attacking Serpimon, Grumblemon happened to glance over to where Mercurymon and Ryuudamon were fighting and was surprised to see the Warrior of Steel headed his way. More surprising still was the fact that Ryuudamon was lying near a sheer rock face.

"What are you doing?" he demanded as Mercurymon approached.

Pausing, Mercurymon followed Grumblemon's gaze to Ryuudamon. The Warrior of Steel flinched. "He's not the true enemy," he whispered.

It took a considerable effort on Grumblemon's part not to explode. "What? What if he wakes up and decides to come back for more?" Mercurymon refused to answer. Gritting his teeth, Grumblemon forced himself to ignore his cousin. This battle was far more important.

Serpimon chuckled, studying the pair with a wicked twinkle in her eye. "Congratulations," she hissed. "You've managed to beat a Rookie! I'm sure it must have been hard to overpower someone so much weaker than you." When Mercurymon cringed, it did not go unnoticed.

"Enough talk," Ranamon said, stepping forward. "Dousing Torrent!"

Ducking, Serpimon slithered between Ranamon and Arbormon to reach the entrance to the Cavern of Fire. "Indeed," she hissed, entering the cave. "But if we fight out here much longer, even my _worthless_ minions will come up to see what's going on. I wouldn't want to win this battle with a–" she glanced at Mercurymon "–cheap shot from one of them."

-.-.-.-

Frustration built in Ranamon as she followed the serpent into the hot, dry Cavern, not even waiting for the others. Serpimon had stopped at the edge of a chasm, looking twice as intimidating in the eerie red light. Spreading her feet wide, Ranamon waited to see what Serpimon had in mind. Arbormon and Grumblemon appeared beside her, followed several seconds later by Mercurymon.

"We're all here now," Grumblemon said impatiently. "Can we finish this battle now?"

"Certainly. Reptilian Flare!"

It was then that the Warriors realized just how small of a chamber they were standing in. Without so much as stalagmites to dive behind, there was nowhere to escape the red beams. Mercurymon frantically raised his shields, and Ranamon, finding no alternative, ducked behind him; Grumblemon and Arbormon braced themselves as best as they could.

The beams slammed into the Warriors, even Ranamon, with as much force as any time before. Others burned into the ceiling and walls, breaking off large chunks of rock, which rained down on the Warriors from above.

The instant the attack was over they retaliated, Grumblemon kicking several of the falling rocks towards Serpimon. Vapor Trident in hand, Ranamon made a few quick passes before the Champion could recover. Her weapon evaporated more and more with each thrust, and with nowhere to go, the mist swirled about in the chamber. As visibility began to decrease, Ranamon leaped back to allow the others to attack.

"Irony Shield!"

"Tree Cannon!"

Red beams and two explosions drove Serpimon to the ground.

"Magma Fang!"

"Aqualine Metamorphosis!" Knowing she didn't stand a chance of outrunning the superheated energy stream, the Warrior of Water took a gamble and met the attack head-on. For a second, the water and the fire-like energy seemed deadlocked, then both continued on, each eating away at the other. The mist thickened.

Before Ranamon had completely reformed, Serpimon's tail caught her in the gut, hurling her into the ceiling.

"Magma Fang!"

All Ranamon could do was throw her arms over her face as she was blasted through the rock and into open air.

-.-.-.-

Grumblemon squinted into the mist, unable to make out any figures. The light pouring in through the new skylight created hundreds of dazzling rainbows in the mist, further disorienting him.

A form to his left shifted. Serpimon hissed.

"Sandstorm!" Grumblemon roared, lashing out at the form.

-.-.-.-

Mercurymon felt something strike him, flinging him backwards into the wall. Before his assailant could follow up, he reacted, raising his shields. "Steel Alloy!"

-.-.-.-

Small, glowing shards tore into Grumblemon as he scanned for Serpimon. "Mercurymon, you idiot!" he yelled. "It's me!" No sooner had the Warrior of Steel terminated his attack than Serpimon was behind Grumblemon, sending him crashing into Mercurymon.

"Please, continue!" she sneered, retreating into the mist. "It's so much fun to watch two Warriors take each other out!"

"Tree Cannon!"

A strangled cry escaped the serpent as she was caught up in the explosion. Grumblemon hurriedly disentangled himself from Mercurymon, dashing back into the mist after Serpimon. Afraid to accidentally attack a teammate again, Mercurymon hung back near the wall.

"Magma–"

"Found you! Sandstorm!"

Serpimon screamed in fury as she crashed into the wall dangerously close to Mercurymon, who, after recovering from the shock, turned and planted his feet.

"Steel Alloy!"

As Grumblemon and Arbormon emerged from the mist, Serpimon picked herself up off the ground. Arbormon was by far in the best shape out of the three Warriors, both because of his armor and because he had sustained only a handful of hits. Grumblemon, on the other hand, had primarily fought in close quarters with the Champion, and it was beginning to take its toll. Tensing, Mercurymon trained his gaze on Serpimon. Grumblemon only hoped she was in worse shape than she was letting on.

-.-.-.-

Ranamon landed on her back on the side of the volcano. Moaning, she rolled over and pushed herself onto her knees. Mist billowed out of a gaping hole, which the Warrior of Water had made with her own body. Through it, she could hear the three male Warriors and Serpimon exchanging attacks.

This wasn't going well.

As Ranamon caught her breath, she mentally cursed Serpimon. The Champion digimon had powerful attacks to begin with, but to make matters worse, her strength didn't seem to have diminished over the course of the battle, as the Warriors' had. With a frustrated roar, Ranamon punched the rock. How were they supposed to win!

"Ranamon?"

The water sprite looked up in surprise as Tapirmon pulled himself up to where she was. "Tapirmon!" Ranamon cried, pleased, but her mood quickly soured. "You should leave."

"What?" Tapirmon squawked.

"We're losing," the Warrior murmured, collapsing to the rock. "You need to get out of here before it's too late."

"Losing?" Tapirmon shook his head stubbornly. "Preposterous! You are the Legendary Warriors; no mere charlatan can defeat you!"

Ranamon glared at the Keeper of the Book. "Oh yeah? Well somebody had better tell Serpimon that! Cause we're getting weaker by the minute and her attacks are still as strong as ever!"

Tapping his chin with a hoof, Tapirmon frowned. "Hmm. Now that's an unwise ploy on her part," he mused.

"What?"

Tapirmon blinked, as if unaware he had spoken. "Oh, well I was just contemplating what could have possibly enticed her to adopt this particular stratagem."

Intrigued, Ranamon stood and approached the Rookie. "Why? What's so bad about it?"

"It's not _bad, _per se…More like a disadvantage in the long run."

-.-.-.-

The three Warriors surrounded Serpimon, hemming her in to the wall. If nothing else, this kept her in sight so she couldn't sneak up on them. Unfortunately, trapped as she was, the serpent had only one option:

"Reptilian Flare!"

The Warriors were tossed across the chamber like rag dolls, tumbling across the stone floor. Exhausted and hurt as he was, Mercurymon finally devolved, coming to a rest against the far wall and only hoping Serpimon wouldn't come after him. The other two were barely better off, but they at least managed to maintain their evolutions.

-.-.-.-

Ranamon scrambled up the slope as Serpimon announced her attack. A part of her wanted to turn back, to rush to help the others without even waiting for the attack to conclude, but she forced herself to admit it was useless. She was already on the brink of devolving. One more attack and she would be down for the count. Her only hope was to go along with Tapirmon's plan.

Foot slipping, Ranamon clung to a rocky outcropping and glanced over her shoulder. The scarlet rays poured from the jagged hole, but already she could tell they were beginning to lessen. It was now or never.

Only pausing to regain a solid foothold, Ranamon turned and leaped high into the air. She looked down, trying to see through the hole and find Serpimon. She was only going to have one chance at this, so she couldn't miss. _There. _Once she located Serpimon, the still-glowing epicenter of the attack, Ranamon didn't dare to even blink, lest she lose sight of her enemy. Then, just when she was beginning to fall and the Reptilian Flare was all but gone, Ranamon mustered all of her remaining strength.

"Aqualine Metamorphosis."

The column of water gushed into the cavern, surging for Serpimon with vicious speed. Ranamon's face as she reformed was one of grim determination.

She felt the impact radiate up her leg as her heel connected with Serpimon's jaw. The Champion skidded for several feet before she fell limp, fading to a silhouette. Ranamon wavered as she landed, but managed a triumphant smile as she raised her D-Tector and stepped forward.

"Now this continent is finally free of your tyranny," she said softly. "Fractal code…Digitize!"

As soon as the last of the fractal code disappeared into her digivice, she released her evolution and collapsed, gasping for breath.

"Taura!" Grumblemon cried, devolving as he ran to her side. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," she said, waving her hand as Kado, who had also devolved, helped Nao to his feet. "Just exhausted, no big deal."

"No kidding," Jomei snorted. "How'd you manage that much power?"

Taura grinned. "I just used her own tactic against her."

Kado frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

"Tapirmon explained it to me. See, Serpimon was focused on keeping her attacks at peak strength throughout the battle so that we would take more of a beating. But to do that, she had to sacrifice her defense and endurance…At least, I think that's what he said."

"Quite right!" Tapirmon assured from the mouth of the cave. "Any digimon can use that tactic, but it's foolish to use it continually for the duration of a battle. Uses too much energy. Really, the only prudent application is to end a confrontation."

Jomei rolled his eyes. "Whatever. It worked, and that's what counts."

"Right," Taura nodded. "Now all we have to do is…what was it? Render some kind of key?" She stared at her D-Tector. "So how do we do that?" She pursed her lips, pushing a few buttons randomly. "Kado? How does this work?"

The young boy blinked. "How am I supposed to know?"

"Well, you stole my D-Tector that first night, didn't you?"

He blushed. "Well…yeah, but I didn't see any 'render' command."

Snorting, Taura scowled. "Then how does that lady expect us to render the key?" Out of frustration, she jabbed button after button, not really expecting anything to happen. So when it did, the D-Tector's screen lighting up and spewing out a long stream of Fractal Code, Taura jumped. "Uh-oh. I think I broke it."

"Fractal code…Rendered."

"Maybe not," Jomei muttered. The Code shot out of the cave, gathering into a small oblong on the small platform outside. Once the end of the stream had disappeared into the puddle, a thin cord of fractal code shot out, stretching straight toward the horizon. Eventually, it stopped growing and solidified into a single rail, anchored to the cliff with a metal boarding platform that stuck out from the side of the volcano.

"Well what do you know?" Tapirmon exclaimed. "A Trailmon track! So she was telling the truth after all."

"Assuming it leads to the Continent of Earth."

"Jomei," Taura groaned.

"What?"

"Do you have to be so pessimistic?"

"Yes."

"Well stop!"

"What if I don't want to?"

The other three sighed as Jomei and Taura argued, but they didn't have the energy to intervene. It had been a long, hard day, and none of them would have trouble falling asleep the first chance they got.

Assuming Jomei and Taura ever stopped arguing, that is.

**Next Time: "Enter the Cavalry" – It's the parents' turn! They arrive on the Continent of Fire and begin searching for their own Spirits.**

**A/N: Did I say I'd be getting this up in a few days? Oops. I forgot that I have zero free time at the end of the semester. Oh, well. I at least got it up in less than two weeks. I'll get at least one more up before the end of the year. Maybe two. We'll see if I end up doing any Christmas fics. In any case, see you next chapter!  
**


	7. Enter the Cavalry

**A/N: I'm done with finals! Which means you all get a special update. Enjoy.**

**Last Time…The team headed off to the Cavern of Fire. Mercurymon defeated Ryuudamon, but didn't scan his data. Then, after almost losing, the foursome scanned Serpimon, rendering her data to create a Trailmon track to the Continent of Earth – wherever **_**that**_** is.**

**Chapter 7: Enter the Cavalry**

_I could not at any age be content to take my place in a corner by the fireside and simply look on.  
-Eleanor Roosevelt_

The Kanbara house was not exactly a happy place at the moment. Scratch that – it had all the cheerfulness of a sickroom. Takuya supposed it had something to do with the fact that most of the optimists were gone, Kouichi and Zoe on a walk, and JP and Hana to rent a movie. Tommy and Nyoko, though normally bright enough, had retreated to the kitchen table to discuss the more depressing points of returning to the Digital World. As always, Kouji and Kaya were moping on the couch; and even Midori seemed to be in a temperamental mood.

Oh, well. At least once JP and Hana got back they'd have a movie to distract them for a while.

Unless he had gotten his D-Tector, too, in which case the whole attempt at lightening the mood would be ruined. Takuya tried to stay positive about the whole situation, but everyone else was rubbing off on him. It wasn't that he didn't want to go back. Actually, he was quite excited about it. Mostly.

As far as the action, adventure, and general awesomeness of it went, Takuya was ready to charge to the nearest Trailmon station and hitch a ride to the Digital World, whether or not anyone else came with him.

But there was another, larger, part of him that didn't want to have to go back at all. He had matured a lot since he had first set foot in the Digital World. He had gone to college (okay, he had gone on a soccer scholarship, but still; he had gone!). He had a job, even if running around with a bunch of kids playing soccer all day seemed more like fun to him.

"Hi Dad!"

He had a family.

Takuya smiled down at his son, Benjiro, who was playing Candyland with Tommy's daughter, Kita. The seven-year-old boy had a mop of light brown hair, the same shade as his mother's, and his father's red-brown eyes, which were currently staring up at Takuya with a youthful eagerness.

"Wanna play?"

Takuya crouched down, tousling his son's hair, and shook his head. "No thanks, Ben. It looks like you two are in the middle of a game."

"We can start over, right, Kita?"

"Uh-huh!" the little girl nodded, scrambling over to give the Warrior of Fire a hug and knocking him over in the process. "You're always fun to play with, Uncle Takuya!"

Tugging on the girl's curly brown pigtail, Takuya raised an eyebrow. "Uncle, huh? When'd you start calling me Uncle?"

Kita beamed, but her bright green eyes twinkled in the light. "Well, I heard Daddy say you're his brother, just like Uncle Yutaka, so that makes you my uncle!" She frowned suddenly and cocked her head to the side. "Doesn't it?"

Takuya laughed. "Of course it does, Kita."

"So, d'ya wanna?" Ben asked again, already reaching for his and Kita's gingerbread men game pieces.

"No, no." Takuya placed a hand on his son's shoulder with a smile. "The others will be back soon. I'll just watch."

Shrugging, Ben turned to Kita. "Your turn." The girl obediently tumbled off Takuya's lap and reached for the stack of cards. As she looked at her card, she frowned. "What'd you get, Kita? Let me see!" Ben said, leaning forward. "No way! Queen Frostine? That's the best card in the game! You're so lucky, Kita!"

With a giggle, Kita dropped the card and grabbed another. "Here's yours!"

"Aw, man," Ben moaned, moving his piece to the next blue space. "I'm lost in the Lollypop Woods!" Takuya smothered a smile as he saw the card his son dropped – not the single blue square that would leave him stuck on the Lollypop Woods space, but double blue. But Kita didn't notice, so Takuya merely shook his head as the game continued, realizing now why Kita always beat Ben at these kinds of games.

The front door closed with a bang. "Hey Takky! We're back!"

"Don't slam the door, JP!" The gogglehead winced at his wife's voice from downstairs, which was answered by a muffled but distinctly sarcastic reply from the Warrior of Thunder. Midori, apparently, heard every word. "_What_ did you say?"

Both children glanced toward the door. "Dad?" Ben tugged on his father's shirt sleeve. "Why's Mom mad?"

"She's not mad, Ben," Takuya lied, but when Midori made a sound eerily similar to a growl, he stood up, chuckling. "Still, I should probably go talk to her."

Takuya arrived downstairs to find that Midori had cornered JP, a scowl on her face. Nearby, Hana was shaking her head, while the other adults had appeared in the doorway. Meeting Hana's exasperated violet eyes, Takuya sighed.

"What's going on?" he asked, deciding to break the trend of cowering away from the brown-haired woman he called his wife. He placed a hand on Midori's shoulder, barely controlling his cringe when she turned her glare on him.

Recovering his composure, JP crossed his arms. "I just told her to lighten up!"

Kouji scoffed. "Well if you would have phrased it like that, she wouldn't have gotten angry."

Takuya began to rub his wife's back as he raised an eyebrow at his best friend, who rolled his eyes. "Look," Takuya said, hoping to pacify Midori. "Not that JP doesn't deserve this, but…maybe you _should_ try to relax a little."

After another long glare at JP, Midori's shoulders slumped and she turned towards the living room. "I know. You're right. It's just…I've heard your stories; the Digital World is a dangerous place." She paused, glancing upstairs. "What if something happens to you? What about Ben and Taura, or any of the other kids? What will I do?" With a sigh, she forced herself to stand up a little taller. "No. What am I saying? You have to go back!"

Midori turned back around, her gray eyes glistening as they met Takuya's. In that moment, Takuya understood all of Midori's concerns, the same concerns he himself was trying to deal with, and he returned his wife's gaze with one he hoped looked confident and reassuring. Seconds later, the door burst open, startling them all.

Kouichi and Zoe stumbled to a stop at the sight of the crowded hallway, exchanging a confused glance. "Did…we miss something?" Zoe asked at last.

"Nothing important," Hana said quickly, shooting JP a meaningful look of her own.

Eyes darting between the two, Zoe blinked slowly. "Okay…"

As Kouichi turned to close the door – gently, much to everyone's relief – Kouji studied his brother. As though sensing this, Kouichi kept a hand on the doorknob, tapping it thoughtfully. "What's wrong?" Kouji asked at length.

"Well…" Kouichi turned to Zoe, who lifted one shoulder in a shrug before turning back to the others. Kouichi followed her lead, focusing on Kouji before he continued. "I wouldn't say 'wrong,' exactly." He and Zoe simultaneously reached into their pockets, and Takuya was groaning before they even revealed the D-Tectors.

Tommy gaped. "You got them at the same time?"

Kouichi nodded, once more glancing at Zoe, but quickly turning away from her pointed glare. "I know this is going to sound really crazy, but–" With a grunt, he stopped, rubbing his ribs where Zoe had elbowed him. "Never mind."

Kouji frowned, but then nodded as if coming to a conclusion and reached into his pocket. "So we have five out of six D-Tectors," he said, pulling out his digivice, which prompted Tommy and Takuya to do the same. The gogglehead turned in time to see Zoe direct another glare at her husband, but no one else seemed to have caught it, so Takuya merely raised an eyebrow.

JP tapped his chin. "So now I'm the only one who doesn't have one." As if in response, the five D-Tectors let out brilliant streams of light, which arced directly at JP, merging into a glowing sphere before him. When the light faded, JP's D-Tector was floating in the air for him to grab.

For a moment, all was silent, as Nyoko slowly shifted over towards Hana. The older woman wrapped an arm around her shoulders in support. Pausing only to squeeze his hand, Kaya smiled at Kouji and gestured to where JP, Kouichi, and Zoe were standing near the door. As she walked away, dropping his hand, she passed Tommy, who was inching towards the other Warriors, his eyes never leaving his wife.

Midori wrapped her arms around Takuya from behind, leaning in close to whisper, "I can't lose you, Takuya."

The Warrior of Fire turned around to face her, managing a brave smile. "I'll come back soon. I promise."

Midori's eyes closed and she backed away, hand lifting to cover her mouth. Then, with a barely audible sob, she turned and hurried into the living room. Takuya took a step to follow her, but a hand on his elbow stopped him. Turning, he found himself staring into Kaya's warm gold-brown eyes.

"I'll talk to her," she assured him before glancing at the five waiting digidestined. "The sooner you leave, the sooner you can come back."

Takuya nodded, and as Kaya left the room, he turned back to the others. "This is it, then," he said, striding purposefully to the door and opening it. Blinking in the sun, he adjusted his goggles. "Alright, team. Let's move out!"

Smirking, Kouji shoved his way past the Warrior of Fire. "Okay, _leader_," he teased. "But where do we go?"

Takuya's face fell, but a beeping from his D-Tector saved him as it produced a small sphere and a blinking dot. He grinned and pointed. "That way!"

-.-.-.-

Kouji leaned back against the Trailmon windows as the others filed in, Kouichi and Zoe joining him on the bench next to the door and the others settling in across from them. Turning his head, Kouji narrowed his eyes at the trees surrounding the hidden Trailmon station.

Takuya's D-Tector had led the group to the nearby park, where they had found themselves walking into deeper and deeper woods until the stumbled upon the boarding platform. Worm the Trailmon – the same one who had carried Takuya, Zoe, JP, and Tommy into the Digital World when they were younger – had been waiting, and though he pretended to be impatient, Kouji suspected he was actually quite pleased at seeing the Legendary Warriors again.

"Everyone sitting down in there? Good." Not waiting for an actual reply, Worm took off. Luckily, none of the Warriors had forgotten how crazy the Trailmon rides could be, and they managed to grab on before things got too out of control. Still, Kouji was caught slightly off-guard by the loop, which was followed seconds later by a sudden, less-than-pleasant stop. The six friends stumbled off the Trailmon, Kouichi looking even more shaken than the others.

Takuya couldn't help but laugh as Kouichi leaned against a pillar for support. "Sorry, buddy. I guess you never actually experienced that before, huh?"

Offering a weak smile, Kouichi said, "I'm just glad it's over!"

"So where are we?" Zoe asked, glancing around.

"The Digital World?" JP offered.

The Warrior of Wind rolled her eyes. "Well, duh. But where _exactly_?"

"The Continent of Light," said a pompous voice from behind Kouji.

"Where's that?" asked another in a distracted tone.

"Where…Don't you pay attention to _anything_?"

_Oh, _please _no, _Kouji thought, exchanging a glance with an equally irked Takuya. Kouichi rolled his eyes, but smiled good-naturedly as Zoe's face lit up; Tommy and JP also beamed, and the youngest digidestined turned eagerly to where the two Rookies stood.

"Bokomon! Neemon!" he cried.

Bokomon frowned, taking several steps closer to study Tommy. "Humans. My, it's been a while. But who exactly are you?"

"Don't you pay attention to anything?" Neemon mimicked.

"Oh, like you know who they are, you nitwit!"

"But I do."

"You do?"

"Yep. They're humans. And that one's a girl!"

Fuming, Bokomon gave Neemon's waistband a good, hard snap. Not bothering to turn around, Kouji scowled. "Let's go before they recognize us."

"Now hold on," Bokomon mused, raising a hand to his chin. "I've heard that voice before."

Kouji cringed as Takuya moaned. "Nice going, Kouji. Now they're sure to recognize us."

"Kou…ji…" Neemon echoed blankly while Bokomon snapped his fingers.

"Me?" Kouji hissed, glaring at the Warrior of Fire. "You're the one who just told them my name."

Takuya chuckled. "Oops."

"Kouji?" Practically bursting with excitement, Bokomon leaped up onto Kouji's shoulder (a task that proved considerably more difficult than the last time the Warriors had been in the Digital World). "Kouji, my boy! It _is_ you!"

Gritting his teeth, Kouji shrugged his shoulder. "Get off me. I'm not a kid anymore."

Seemingly unaffected by Kouji's sour mood, Bokomon slid down the man's shirt and dropped to the ground. He quickly scanned the circle of humans, muttering to himself and nodding as he registered each face, only stopping when he looked at Tommy. "My goodness…That can't be little Tommy, could it?"

Laughing softly, Tommy nodded. "It is, Bokomon."

"Well, you've certainly grown up! I hardly recognize you!"

While Bokomon was getting reacquainted with the Warriors, Neemon had developed a fascination with Zoe's left hand. He kept rubbing it and muttering "shiny" over and over again. When Bokomon noticed, he stormed over and prepared to snap Neemon's pants, but Zoe just smiled and waved her free hand dismissively. Curious, Kouichi came around to see what Neemon was looking at, and he too smiled, glancing up at Zoe.

"What _are_ you rubbing?" Bokomon shouted, having kept quiet for longer than he could tolerate.

"I dunno," Neemon said, still rubbing. "But it's shiny!"

"Shiny," Bokomon scoffed. "Shiny, he says! It's _always _shiny with you, isn't it?" Swatting Neemon's hand away, Bokomon moved in for a closer look. "It's a ring, Neemon. There's nothing special about that!"

"Hey now," Zoe protested, winking at Kouichi. "That's not just any ring!" She pointed to the bottom band, which was made of white gold and had a small amethyst on either side of a diamond. "That's my engagement ring." She pointed to the other, a simple band. "And that's my wedding ring."

"Wedding?" Neemon cried, yanking on Zoe's hand to get a better look. The Warrior of Wind stumbled a few steps before regaining her balance.

Smacking Neemon, Bokomon studied the rings intently. "For once in your life your reaction is _actually_ appropriate," he muttered to the other Rookie. Then, glancing up at Zoe, he raised an eyebrow. "So who's the lucky man?"

"Kouichi."

"Is that so? Well, congratulations!"

Zoe grinned, interlocking her fingers with Kouichi's. "Thanks."

"Hey," Neemon called from Tommy's side. "They all have one!"

"That's because we're all married," Takuya said, visibly burying his irritation. "And most of us have kids of our own."

"You mean there's baby Takuyas running around?" Neemon asked, his face scrunched up as he tryied to imagine the scene.

"Uh…sorta, yeah." Takuya shot Kouji a helpless look, but the Warrior of Light stared back impassively. "Except they don't look exactly like me, and they aren't babies anymore. And one of them's a girl."

"Hey, how come you guys haven't digivolved yet?" JP asked suddenly, sparing Takuya further explanation.

Clasping his hands behind his back, Bokomon began to pace as he spoke. "Digivolution isn't something that happens spontaneously, you know. It's actually a rare occurrence. The only way for a digimon to digivolve is to gain experience from fighting. And seeing as much of the past 500-some-odd years has been spent in peace, we didn't exactly have many opportunities to fight."

"But we never fight," Neemon pointed out. "We run." Bokomon huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, but didn't bother to reply.

"Can we get serious now?" Kouji growled after a moment. Everyone turned to look at him, surprised. "Look, I don't know about the rest of you, but I want to get back to my family as soon as possible. That means we have to know what we're up against and where we're supposed to go."

Bokomon nodded firmly, regaining his scholarly air. "You're absolutely right, Kouji. Things were fine until about twenty years ago, which is when everything changed. The Legendary Warriors and the Celestial Digimon disappeared, the land rearranged, and Serpimon showed up."

"Serpimon?" Takuya asked, now thoroughly interested. "Who's that?"

"I'm not entirely sure."

Takuya had been leaning so far forward to hear about this mysterious threat that he nearly fell over at Bokomon's response. "You're not sure? Then what the heck are we supposed to do about this Serpimon creep?"

Bokomon gave Takuya a condescending look and turned to walk towards one side of the Trailmon station. "Well, if I remember correctly, Seraphimon's castle is somewhere nearby. Even without the Warriors or Celestials, that has _got_ to be the best place to find answers."

"Alright," Takuya said, following Bokomon off the platform. "Let's go!"

"Where are we going?" Neemon asked, dashing after the others.

"Maybe if you would listen once in a while, you'd know where we were going!" Bokomon shouted; Kouji merely groaned.

-.-.-.-

"I don't like this place."

Kouji glanced over at his brother, somewhat startled at his sudden outburst. The group had spent the last few hours walking in near silence, occasionally making small talk or trying to get information out of Bokomon, who unfortunately seemed entirely oblivious to the current state of the Digital World. As a result, the Warriors had to content themselves with hearing what had happened since they had last come up until everything had changed. If Kouji had to sum it up in one word, it would have been easy: nothing. Until the last two decades, absolutely nothing of importance had happened.

"What do you mean?" Zoe asked Kouichi, her concern bringing Kouji's thoughts back to the present. "This place seems fine to me. A little different, sure, but I'm sure that's just because we haven't been data for so long." She grinned. "And you're not a spirit."

"Very funny." Kouichi glanced around. "It just feels…I don't know how to explain it. It's just not quite right." He paused, shivering, then continued in a whisper. "I don't like it."

Kouji glanced around, searching for some sense of what his twin was feeling, but any disagreeable sensation was faint. Sure, something seemed…off, somehow – not quite right, as Kouichi had said – but rather than making him uncomfortable, whatever it was actually had a soothing effect for Kouji. Shaking his head, Kouji returned his focus to his surroundings. Kouichi must have sensed something, and Kouji knew better than to brush off his brother's premonition. Maybe it had something to do with darkness, since Kouichi was much more sensitive to his element, corrupted or pure, than any of the others.

"What is it?" Kouji asked, edging closer to his brother.

Hesitating, Kouichi walked in silence for several minutes as he cast his eyes about for some trigger to this feeling. With each step, his frown grew deeper.

"I know there's something," he muttered, partly to himself and partly as an apology to the others. "I just can't pinpoint it. I mean…Wait." Kouichi stopped walking suddenly, sucking in his breath as he looked around one more time. "Of course!" he cried. "I don't know why I didn't realize it before!"

The others frowned, glancing around to see if anyone else had understood. "Uh…buddy?" Takuya ventured. "What are you talking about?"

For a moment, the man was silent, frowning at the ground beneath him. Finally, he looked up. "There are no shadows," he whispered. "Look around."

Kouji obeyed, and that fact was startlingly obvious once he knew what to look for. Nothing – not the trees, not the bushes, not any of the travelers – cast the faintest shadow. In fact, as Kouji looked around, he couldn't even pinpoint a light source; it seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. And as this phenomenon hit home, Kouji, like the others, couldn't help but gasp.

"Well of course there aren't any shadows," Bokomon said dismissively, already walking away. "This _is _the Continent of Light, after all."

Despite his best effort, Kouji couldn't keep a scowl off his face. "So?"

"So?" Bokomon whirled and held a finger up to Kouji – hardly the intimidating gesture intended, given the massive height difference. "'So' this entire continent is practically _oozing_ with light. And of course, if it's so full of light there can't possibly be any darkness, now can there?"

"But light and darkness can't exist without each other," Kouji argued. "This can't be possible!"

"Obviously it _is _possible, or else we wouldn't be having this conversation."

With a groan, Kouichi lifted a hand to rub his temple. "Look, not to sound rude or anything, but I really couldn't care less whether or not it's possible. Let's just do what we need to do and get off this stupid continent. I'm starting to feel sick."

Now that he mentioned it, Kouji realized, Kouichi was paler than normal, and with the way his eyes were squinting, either the light was hurting his eyes or he had a headache – or both. "How much farther is it to Seraphimon's castle?" Kouji moved closer to Kouichi as he waited for Bokomon to reply.

"Not too much farther. Maybe another half hour?"

Nodding, Kouji turned to his brother. "Will you be alright walking for that long?"

"Yeah," Kouichi assured him quickly. "It's really not that bad. I'm just…uncomfortable. That's all."

"Are you sure? Maybe we should take a break."

"I'm fine, Kouji. Really. We should keep moving."

Though he had his suspicions about Kouichi's sincerity, Kouji relented, and the group moved on. Twenty-five minutes later, the crystal towers of Seraphimon's castle appeared through the trees. Sighing in relief, Kouji sped up to match his brother's pace as Kouichi hurried to the building. If they had kept walking for only a few more minutes, Kouji was sure Kouichi would have simply collapsed. Beads of sweat had begun to stand out on his forehead, and his steps seemed to have been getting slower.

Finally they reached the entrance to the castle, and Kouichi paused only a second before he pulled the door open. Inside, the light was anything but diminished, but the Warrior of Darkness seemed more at ease, walking at an almost leisurely pace down the corridor. Kouji fell into step beside him, taking a few moments to study the structure around him.

It had been a long time since he had been here, and last time the castle had been sitting atop an enormous tree. This time it was much more accessible, but no less awe-inspiring. The crystalline walls cast ghostly rainbows on Kouji's skin as he walked. At length, they reached the central chamber, where a sculpture made of crystal stood.

Zoe frowned at the sculpture. "Didn't that used to be a statue of the three Angels?"

"Indeed it did, Zoe," Bokomon said, coming forward to study the strange piece. The bottom appeared to be some kind of marble pedestal, but what sat atop it looked like the remains of an egg that had already hatched – rounded, with irregular wedges jutting up. "And it still was the last time I visited it."

"How long ago was that?" JP asked, raising an eyebrow at the Rookie, who squirmed uncomfortably before replying.

"I don't know, maybe thirty years. But I–"

Suddenly Takuya's voice interrupted them. "You know, I'm all for admiring abstract art, but have you taken a look at the rest of the room yet?"

Kouji turned. At the sight of the room – crystal panels shattered or melted beyond repair, their remains scattered widely; mounds of dirt and stone dotting the room; roots erupting from the destroyed floor – his mouth ran dry. "It looks like there was a battle here."

"And not too long ago, either," Zoe added, rubbing a clump of soil between her fingers. "This dirt's still moist."

Tommy frowned. "How much do you want to bet Serpimon had something to do with it?"

"Hey Kouji, Takuya," JP called, waving the two over to a relatively unscathed section of the room. "Look at this!"

He stood in front of a rough wall panel, but what caught Kouji's eye was not the strange material, but the two characters chiseled into it. "Those are our symbols," he breathed, running a hand over the wall.

"Yeah," Takuya agreed, coming over. "But what's it for?"

Kouji shrugged, not taking his eyes off the symbol of the Spirits of Light. "Who knows? But it probably has something to do with our Spirits."

"Think our D-Tectors will do us any good?" Takuya asked, reaching into his pocket.

"It's worth a try."

The two Warriors raised their digivices, pointing them uncertainly at the wall. A thread of fire-like energy shot out of both, passing through the wall without seeming to affect it in the least. Once the D-Tectors ceased their display, the symbols of fire and light glowed red and pale blue, respectively. Then the rough section of wall disintegrated to reveal a short passage that ended in a small chamber with two pedestals.

"Is that…" Takuya began, stepping forward.

"Our Spirits." Kouji strode toward the pedestals, aiming his D-Tector at the small object, which eagerly entered the device. Takuya quickly followed suit.

JP stared at the D-Tectors expectantly. "Did you get both?"

Kouji shook his head. "Just our Human Spirits."

"So it's just like starting over," Zoe sighed.

"Except we have two instead of just one." Takuya grinned, obviously excited for a battle. An explosion shook the castle and the sound of shattering crystal drew the Warriors to the entrance. "What was that?" Takuya cried.

Kouji scowled. "I don't know, but we'd better evolve."

"Right."

"Execute: Spirit Evolution!"

"Agunimon!"

"Lobomon!"

Agunimon wasted no time in sprinting through the doors, and Lobomon followed, only pausing to direct the others to stay inside. Once out into the open, the Warrior of Light took in the situation at a glance, already formulating a plan. A trio of Centarumon ringed what Lobomon presumed to be another digimon, though it was obscured by the three Champions.

"I remember these freaks. They were with Saggitarimon," Agunimon grumbled, tensing beside Lobomon. The centaur digimon had orange skin with bulbous indigo armor, as well as black hoofs, hands, and helmets. "There were a lot more of them last time, though, so this should be no problem."

Lobomon reached for his _Licht Sieger, _frowning. "Just remember that we had more power last time."

"Yeah, whatever. Pyro Darts!"

The small flames peppered the Centarumon, doing little damage but redirecting their attention to the Warriors. Lobomon groaned as the nearest digimon raised its right hand and charged up an attack. "Solar Ray!" Lobomon leaped up to avoid the laser beam while Agunimon threw himself to the side.

"Way to go, genius," Lobomon muttered as he landed. "Why don't you just go tap them on the shoulder and introduce yourself next time?"

"Hey, give me a break! I haven't done this in a while, you know."

"Obviously." Ignoring the glare Agunimon was giving him, the lupine warrior activated his _Licht Sieger_, connecting the two halves into a single, two meters-long staff. "Lobo Kendo!"

Twirling the staff to deflect the retaliatory barrage of Solar Rays, Lobomon charged forward, knocking two of the Centarumon aside to reveal their victim, a small yellow-skinned dinosaur with black and violet samurai armor. The digimon had burns and bruises on nearly every inch of exposed skin, but somehow managed to pull himself to his feet at the sight of Lobomon.

"Get inside the castle," Lobomon grunted, raising his weapon as one of the Centarumon he had knocked away attempted to bludgeon him into submission. "My friends are in there. They'll take care of you."

"I can still fight," the dinosaur replied.

"Pyro Tornado!"

Lobomon ducked as Agunimon's attack whipped over his head and connected with the third Centarumon's abdomen. "Watch it, Agunimon!" Then, turning back to the injured digimon, he surveyed the digimon's wounds. "Look at you. You're in no shape to fight. Get inside!"

"Lobomon! Watch out!" Agunimon cried, delivering a spinning kick to his opponent's side. The Warrior of Light turned, scowling as he saw the other two Centarumon coming at him, palms raised and glowing. He raised his _Licht Sieger _defensively, bracing himself for the attack as he positioned himself between the two Champions and the smaller digimon.

"Solar Ray!" Even after they released their attacks, the Centarumon continued charging, and Lobomon looked for a way to counter the charges as he deflected the Solar Rays.

Suddenly the dinosaur digimon stepped out from behind him, a hand on the katana hilt Lobomon had previously failed to notice. "Iai Blade!" the digimon cried, lunging forward to stop one Centarumon in its tracks with a series of lightning-fast cuts. Impressed, Lobomon raised his eyebrow and quickly swung his weapon at the remaining enemy.

"Howling Laser!" the Warrior of Light shouted as the Champion stumbled back. He aimed the weapon on his left wrist at the distracted digimon and released three concentrated energy blasts in quick succession. They connected, two to the chest and one to the right shoulder, driving the Centarumon to the ground.

"Pyro Tornado!" Agunimon's attack sent his opponent tumbling into the one the dinosaur digimon had been fighting, and together the two crashed into Kouji's foe. All three faded to a silhouette, a single ring of Fractal Code surrounding them. Agunimon raised his D-Tector, stepping forward, and the dinosaur's eyes widened. "Fractal code…Digitize."

The mysterious digimon stared, dumbfounded, as the two Warriors reverted to their human forms. "You're Legendary Warriors," he gasped.

Kouji exchanged a wary look with Takuya, who seemed considerably more open to the digimon's apparent admiration. "You betcha, buddy!" he grinned. "And the rest of the team is right over there." He pointed to where the others were emerging from Seraphimon's castle. The digimon followed the gesture and blinked twice as he took in the four approaching humans, the corners of his mouth turning down slightly. He shook his head almost imperceptibly, bowing cordially.

"I am indeed honored to meet you," he said softly. "My name is Ryuudamon."

"Why were those Centarumon attacking you?" Kouji demanded, not trusting this stranger for a second.

Ryuudamon sighed, meeting Kouji's cold stare steadily. "It is a long story."

"We've got time."

"I was trying to convince them to go home." Ryuudamon silenced Takuya with a hand before the man could get his question out. "They served Serpimon. As did I."

Everyone fell silent, eyes narrowing, as they waited for the Rookie to produce an excuse. But when he continued, his words surprised everyone:

"As you obviously know, Serpimon was an evil digimon who attempted to conquer the Continent of Light. Her aims and means always rubbed me the wrong way, but Serpimon saved my life when I was an In-Training, Kyokyomon, taking me in after I was attacked by a wild Monochromon. I owed her my life, so I served her faithfully until she was defeated by the Legendary Warriors."

"You must be mistaken," Bokomon interrupted, shoving his way past Takuya and JP to glower at Ryuudamon. "These humans have only been here for a few hours, and they certainly haven't fought Serpimon, let alone defeated her!"

Ryuudamon glanced sidelong at the other Rookie, not speaking until Bokomon squirmed. "It is you who is mistaken. The Legendary Warriors who defeated Serpimon were four children who possess the Spirits of Water, Earth, Wood, and Steel."

"You're joking!" Zoe gasped. "There are _new _digidestined? Who are they?"

"I don't know." Ryuudamon's gaze shifted to the peak of a mountain visible over the treetops. "They were gone before I woke up and had a chance to ask their names. But one boy…the Warrior of Steel…We fought while his friends battled Serpimon. He won, and I don't begrudge him that, but rather than scanning my data, he spared my life. I pray that we will meet again so that I can repay my debt, but until then I will serve you with everything I have."

Somehow Zoe managed a smile, though her eyes remained dark. "It sounds like the new team is getting along fine without us. But…then why did you think you could convince those Centarumon to go home?"

"With Serpimon gone, I am free, as are the unfortunate digimon whom she forced into servitude. Many of her minions had been kidnapped from their towns or blackmailed by Serpimon. They did her bidding, but only because they feared her wrath. Ever since I regained consciousness, I have been spreading the news of Serpimon's defeat. Many of the camps were elated at my message, and quickly returned to their homes.

"But it seems Serpimon did have some loyal servants, ones who still believe in her cause." Ryuudamon paused, glancing to where the Centarumon had been minutes ago. "Those Centarumon were the look-outs for the last pocket of minions. I had been going to see the camp as a whole, but I overheard them talking and realized where their loyalties lie. As I turned to leave, the Centarumon saw me and chased me here."

Kouji shook his head, frowning. "That doesn't make sense. What cause is there to believe in with Serpimon gone? Her aim was to rule this continent." He glared at Ryuudamon. "Unless you're leaving something out."

"That was her primary aim," Ryuudamon replied, unflinching. "I have not lied to you. But she did have another goal in mind. There is talk of a temple somewhere on this continent, where the power of one of the Celestials is sealed."

Glancing over his shoulder, Takuya asked, "Are you sure it's not Seraphimon's castle?"

"Positive. Serpimon discovered its location not long before the new humans arrived." The digimon scowled. "The only problem is that the ones who discovered it are the ones still loyal to the cause. The power of a Celestial is very enticing to them, especially now that they themselves will benefit."

"Oh," Tommy groaned. "So we have to keep them from getting that power. Great. How many are there?"

"Seven, now that those Centarumon are gone. I believe there are several more Centarumon, but I did not recognize the others."

"That's helpful," Takuya said with just a hint of sarcasm. "So where _is _this temple anyway?"

**Next time: "Back to the Present" – the kids head off to the Continent of Earth, where a new threat presents itself.**

**Notes:**_** Licht Sieger**_** is the Japanese equivalent of **_**Lobo Kendo**_**, but Licht Sieger (which translates to Light Winner) is a better name for Lobomon's weapon than Light Kendo Swords. At least in my opinion. So I'm going to keep it. Oh, and even though it breaks into two pieces, I'm going to keep it singular. It's never a good idea to try to pluralize in a foreign language.**


	8. Back to the Present

**Last Time…While Taura and co. were celebrating the defeat of Serpimon, the parents met up and, once they received the last of the D-Tectors, headed off to the Digital World, where they met up with Bokomon and Neemon. At Seraphimon's Crystal Castle, Takuya and Kouji received their Human Spirits, just in time to help Ryuudamon, who told them about a temple that houses the power of one of the Celestial Angels!**

**Chapter 8: Back to the Present**

"_There is not enough time to do all the nothing we want to do."  
-Bill Watterson_

The Legendary Warriors did not have to wait long. Before the mist inside the Cavern of Fire dissipated, a horned (and rather obnoxious) Trailmon called Buffalo screeched to a stop at the newly-formed boarding platform – backwards. Jomei wasn't able to keep from raising an eyebrow.

"Don't tell me you backed up the whole way here."

"Of course I did," Buffalo retorted sarcastically. "Now excuse me while I flip around so I can back up the whole way back!"

"Whatever. Let's just go already."

"Hey, I'm waiting on _you_, kid."

Without another word, but with a scowl firmly in place, Jomei boarded the first of the three passenger cars. He wondered how many people the woman from their D-Tectors had been expecting, seeing as each of the three cars had four benches long enough for an adult to lie down.

Shaking his head to dislodge the fruitless speculation, the Warrior of Earth gratefully slumped onto one bench. Kado and Naoko were the next to board, sitting on either side of the far door, and Tapirmon was not far behind. Naoko wrapped his arm around the slim pole, no doubt remembering the last Trailmon ride. At length Taura followed, eyes lingering on the aftermath of their recent battle.

"This is weird," she murmured, sitting next to Jomei. "So much has happened in the last few days – getting our Spirits and fighting Serpimon and all that. But after this we can't give up." Jomei heard the uncertaintly, the _fear, _in Taura's voice and looked up. "As soon as we start moving, we're committing ourselves to saving the entire Digital World. There's no telling when we'll be able to go home!"

"We have to do this," Jomei said softly when she paused. "We're the only ones who can."

Taura lowered her eyes. "I know." Feeling the Trailmon take off, she jumped, turning to stare wistfully out the window as the landscape dropped away. "I just…I wish everybody wasn't counting on us. We're only kids!"

As they began to travel, every second seemed endless, and the four children lost themselves in their own thoughts. A new kind of doubt overwhelmed them at the thought of spending weeks or even months in the Digital World. Taura was right; they couldn't just go home whenever they wanted. They were on their way to the Continent of Earth now, but after that? There was no telling how bad the situation was, or how many other continents they would have to visit.

_Our parents must be worried sick by now. _Jomei glanced around the silent car. _How long have we been here already? Four days? _He remembered Tapirmon saying something about a time difference between the two worlds, though he had no idea how drastic the difference was. _It had better be pretty darn drastic. We just went to the park; they won't expect us to be gone for more than a few hours._

Jomei sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. _What if they knew the truth? _No doubt all of the adults would freak out if they knew their children were risking their lives in another world. Heck, _Jomei _was on the verge of freaking out!

A light gasp from Kado drew Jomei's eyes out the window. Hundreds of feet down, the forest thinned into a brilliant green plain, which was traversed by a quick-moving stream that seemed to be made of pure light. Just ahead, the grass gave way to a black sand beach, mineral deposits twinkling like stars in the only patch of night on the entire continent. A surreal turquoise ocean stretched on, only to disappear into the brightness of the horizon.

This view, unmatched in all of Reality, was reason enough for Jomei to save this world. Beings like Serpimon who would stop at nothing to increase their power cared nothing for the consequences, and Jomei clenched his fists at the thought of the destruction they could cause. But surely not all digimon were so callous. Somewhere there had to be some who wanted to preserve the beauty and the life of their world. So Jomei would fight the battles they themselves could not.

Buffalo was now passing over the water. Shades of blue, the closest thing to shadow the Continent of Light had to offer, created a mosaic in the ocean. Here and there, an aquatic digimon would clear the surface for an instant, slipping back in with the smallest of splashes. In an instant, the ocean, the Trailmon, and everything else were consumed by darkness.

-.-.-.-

_Jomei yelped at a sudden pressure on his hand._

"_Jomei?"_

_Yanking his hand back, he glared into the darkness where his cousin's voice had come from. "Don't touch me!" he snapped. Then, hearing a sharp intake of breath through the steady _shush_ing of rain, Jomei cringed. "I'm sorry, Nao. I didn't mean it; you just scared me."_

"_That's okay," the eight-year-old mumbled._

"_No it's not." Jomei shook his head firmly, even though he knew his cousin couldn't see him. "I'm sorry. Forgive me?"_

_There was a slight pause, and Jomei could picture Nao's smile. "Alright, Jomei. I forgive you."_

_The kendo student, who would be eight in just under two months, flashed his own unseen smile. "Thanks." He sat up and swung his legs over the side of his bed, finding the edge of the futon with his toes. Being careful not to disturb Nao, Jomei lowered himself to the floor and stretched out a hand. "That you?"_

"_Yeah, my _eye_!" Nao laughed._

"_Sorry."_

_The futon creaked as the older cousin sat up and moved onto the floor beside Jomei. "You say sorry too much."_

"_Nuh-uh!"_

"_Yeah-huh!"_

"_Nuh-uh!"_

"_Yeah-huh!"_

"_What happened anyway?"_

_Nao let out a soft laugh, but followed Jomei's not-so-subtle change of subject. "The power must have gone out. It happened during a thunderstorm in Fukuoka last month." As if to confirm the eight-year-old's theory, thunder sounded in the distance._

_Sticking his tongue out in disgust, Jomei shuddered at the total darkness surrounding the pair. Moments ago, the lamp on Jomei's desk had been on, providing more than enough light to see. "Well then how come we didn't hear it coming?" The wind picked up suddenly, tossing the rain against Jomei's bedroom window with such ferocity that neither boy could hear their parents in the hall for several seconds. "Okay, well that answers _that _question! Yeesh…Sh-should we tell our parents? I think Mom keeps some flashlights in the closet by the bathroom."_

"_I don't think so. We were supposed to be asleep an hour ago!" A flashlight clicked on outside the door, and Nao and Jomei held their breath as footsteps approached._

"_Should we check on the boys?" Jomei's Aunt Zoe asked in a whisper._

_Kouji was the one to reply: "No. The storm isn't close enough to have woken them. We should let them sleep."_

"_Alright…" Suddenly, Zoe chuckled. "Well I guess we can't watch that scary movie anymore!"_

"_Why do I get the feeling that doesn't disappoint you?" Kouji paused, and the two began to walk away. "Oh, well. Kouichi's got some ghost stories I know he's been dying to tell."_

_The two boys released the breaths they'd been holding once the voices faded. With the flashlight gone, Jomei was once more left blind. "S-so," he stammered, instinctively groping for something solid. "What do we do now?"_

_Nao was silent for several moments, and then, clearing his throat, he wiggled his fingers. Jomei blushed as he realized he was squeezing his cousin's hand like a sponge. "Jomei…" Nao began as the younger boy quickly let go. "Are you…are you scared of the dark?"_

"_No!"_

"_Then why were you crushing my fingers?"_

_The only good thing about the darkness was that it hid Jomei's blush as it deepened. "I…was just making sure you were still there. I thought I heard you stand up! Sorry."_

"_There you go apologizing again."_

"_Sorr-I mean…Oops?" Almost simultaneously, the cousins burst out laughing, stuffing their fists into their mouths so the adults down the hall wouldn't hear. Soon tears were leaking from Jomei's eyes, and he found himself laughing into Nao's shoulder. For that one minute, he forgot all about the storm, the power outage, and the darkness, instead wishing Nao could visit more often. The four or five weeks each year Nao's family came to Tokyo were the best Jomei could dream of. Even summer vacation couldn't measure up to nights like these, spent laughing and talking well past their bedtime._

"_Jomei?"_

"_Yeah?" Jomei replied, finally swallowing his mirth._

_The other boy hesitated, his hand finding Jomei's shoulder. "You…you don't have to be afraid, you know. It's just darkness; it won't hurt you or anything."_

"_I know." Jomei looked away but didn't shrug off his cousin's hand. "It's just…I don't know. You never know what's hiding in the dark. I don't like not being able to see."_

_"__So listen."_

_Jomei shot Nao a confused look, which was obviously missed in the darkness. "_Listening_ isn't the same as _seeing_." He sighed. "I don't know, maybe I'm just weird."_

"_Well, duh. I could've told you that!"_

_A giggle sounded as Jomei poked Nao's side. Lightning illuminated the room, followed almost instantly by thunder that rattled the window. Nao's fingers dug into Jomei's arm. Wincing, he pried them loose, only to have them clamp onto his hands when another flash came. Once the thunder faded, Jomei wiggled his fingers._

"_Nao?"_

"_Huh? Oh! Sorry." Quickly, Nao let go of his cousin, clasping his hands around his knees, which were tucked up to his chest. Jomei saw both the posture and Nao's wide eyes with the next flash._

"_Na–" The thunder cut him off, and, rolling his eyes, he waited it out. "Nao?" he repeated once he could be heard. "Are you afraid of the lightning?"_

"_Nnn…yaaa…"_

"_Nya?" Jomei swallowed a snicker. "Which is it?"_

"_No." Ducking his head away from more lightning, Nao whimpered. "Fine! Yes! Yes I am!"_

_Scooting closer to his cousin, Jomei opened his mouth to tease, but his amusement disappeared in an instant when he noticed that Nao was trembling. "Nao?" he asked, clutching anxiously at the older boy's arm. "Nao! Are you alright?" Nao shook his head violently, tensing as the lightning flashed again. "It-it's just light, Nao! It won't hurt you!"_

"_I know," Nao mumbled, face buried in his knees. "I'm not afraid of it hurting me."_

"_Then what–"_

"_I'm afraid of what it'll show me," the boy whispered._

_Jomei felt his own muscles tense with the next flash, and he tried to lend Nao some strength through an awkward hug. "What, Nao?" he asked, trying to meet his cousin's eyes. "What are you afraid of seeing?"_

_The words were soft, so soft Jomei almost missed them. But the absolute terror and helplessness behind the words…_that_ he heard clearly._

"_I don't want to find out I'm alone."_

_Voice catching in his throat, all Jomei could think to do was hug Nao tighter for the next few minutes. Then an idea hit and he waited for the latest roll of thunder to rumble itself out. Hesitantly, he let go of his cousin, whispering, "Hang on," and stood up._

"_Jomei? Where are you?"_

"_Right here," Jomei assured, reaching a hand back to brush Nao's fingertips. "Just give me a second." Praying the next bolt of lightning would wait until he was done, he tossed his pillow onto the floor and gathered the soft green quilt in his arms. He had never worked so quickly in the dark, but it paid off as he scooted in next to Nao just in time for more thunder._

"_Huh?" Nao finally looked up. "What happened to the lightning? Jomei?"_

"_I'm here," he said, nudging his cousin playfully. "And so is the lightning. You just can't see it."_

"_Wha…?"_

_Smiling, Jomei grabbed Nao's hand and lifted it to the quilt stretched overhead. One side was tucked under the mattress on Jomei's bed; the other draped over a chair and held in place with his schoolbooks. The thick blanket fell all the way to the ground on the remaining sides to complete the makeshift tent. Not the smallest sliver of light made its way in._

"_But…But you're afraid of the dark," Nao protested, sitting statue-still beside his cousin. "You can't–"_

"_Whadda ya mean I can't?" Jomei shot back, pretending to be angry despite his secretly pleased grin. "I just did."_

"_But you–"_

_Somehow Nao seemed to sense movement as Jomei waved his hand in the air. "That doesn't matter. I'm not really scared anyway." So what if it was a lie? Nao had a better reason to be scared of lightning than Jomei had to be scared of the dark, so that was that. "And I'll sleep right here so you can hear me and know you're not alone."_

"…_Thanks, Jomei."_

_His smile widened. For a few more moments, the two boys sat side-by-side in silence, content to listen – to the rain hitting the window, to the occasional rumble of thunder, to each other breathing. At length Nao crawled back onto the futon._

"_You know what, Nao?" Jomei whispered as he stretched out on the ground, hands tucked under his pillow._

"_What?" Pausing in his efforts to slip under his blanket without disturbing the overhanging quilt, Nao waited for his cousin to continue._

"_If I had a brother…I'd want it to be you."_

"_Yeah?"_

"_You bet. You're my favorite cousin."_

"_I'm your _only_ cousin."_

_Jomei laughed. "Well then you're my best friend."_

"_Really? What about Taura?"_

"_She's a good friend, too, but I don't get to see you as often. I always look forward to your visits."_

"_I do too… And Jomei?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_I'd like it if we were brothers, too."_

-.-.-.-

"So what happened?" Jomei wondered aloud.

"Jomei?" The Warrior of Earth jumped at Taura's voice.

Suddenly realizing he was in the Trailmon and not a seven-year-old in a thunder storm, Jomei fumbled for an answer. "I-I was just wondering what happened. Everything's dark all of a sudden, in case you didn't notice."

"Uh-huh…" A row of florescent lights flickered on inside the car, and Jomei caught Taura studying him dubiously. Struggling not to blush now that everyone could see him, he turned. Across the car, Naoko gripped the pole tightly, glancing around with wide eyes. The cousins' eyes met for an instant, but, tensing, Naoko quickly looked away.

_Is he still afraid? I would have thought he'd be over it by now._

"Oh! Well that's cool!" Kado exclaimed, disrupting Jomei's thoughts. The three older kids stared at Kado and Tapirmon for an explanation. "Tapirmon was telling me why everything got so dark."

When the boy stopped, Taura made an encouraging gesture. "And…?"

Tapirmon took over, pointing towards the back of the Trailmon. "Look out the window." They did as they were told, gaping at the sight. An enormous white dome, glowing softly, covered what Jomei assumed was the Continent of Light, falling like a curtain over the Trailmon track and all the way down to the water, which could be made out near the dome. "It would seem," Tapirmon said slowly, "that there is some kind of enchantment, and whoever cast it is culpable for the day continuing _ad nauseam_."

"Fascinating," Jomei replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes at Taura. "So I guess night just seemed darker than normal after all that light."

"I guess so." Yawning, Taura turned away from the window. "Let's get some sleep. I'm sure there'll be plenty to do once we reach the Continent of Earth." As everyone took her advice, Jomei moving to the fourth bench to lie down, Taura frowned. "Um, Buffalo? Is it possible to turn the lights down?" The lights dimmed to a faint glow obediently as Taura stretched out. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome," Buffalo muttered. "Jeez. Just go to sleep already! A few hours without your annoying talk will be a relief."

Biting back a snide comment, Jomei rolled his eyes and settled down as best he could. Once his eyes were closed, fatigue from the battle with Serpimon settled like lead in his limbs him, but he couldn't seem to fall asleep. For long minutes, he ignored the voice that kept repeating in his head, his own voice from four and a half years earlier.

'_If I had a brother…I'd want it to be you.'_

With an sigh, Jomei gave up on burying the memory. It had been two nights after Naoko's eighth birthday, and the Kimuras had been visiting over winter vacation. Despite the unseasonably warm weather and thunderstorm, it had been a fun two weeks, some of the last Jomei could remember; by Christmas of the next year, Tomoko Kimura had fallen seriously ill. The following March, Kouichi had moved back to Tokyo to care for his mother, Zoe and Naoko following once school let out for the summer. By the end of the summer, Tomoko had died.

_When did everything change between us? _Jomei wondered. _We always had so much fun together, like brothers. _Opening his eyes, the Warrior of Earth let them slide to where Naoko was lying, across the car from him. _He could always make me laugh. Now he just irritates me. Why?_

He snorted, pushing his questions aside. _We grew up, _he told himself firmly. _We changed, just like everyone does. Maybe we used to be close, but we aren't anymore. I don't like who Naoko's become, but I couldn't change it if I wanted to. This is just the way things are._

As he forced his thoughts off that particular memory, Jomei was unpleasantly surprised with where they settled next.

_They had come together into the darkness, but he had forgotten Seraphimon's castle as the shadows filled his mind. Then Jomei saw his cousin, and his outrage from the day before came boiling over._

Jomei shook his head in the darkness to get rid of the image. None of that had actually happened; he had been tired from having to sleep on the hard floor of Seraphimon's Crystal Castle. Naoko hadn't actually…Had he?

_No. _Of course he hadn't. Sure, Naoko got on Jomei's nerves a lot – every day – but he wouldn't actually _attack _Jomei! Still…seeing Mercurymon form the same sword from the dream, or hallucination, during his battle with Ryuudamon on the side of the volcano had shaken Jomei. How had he known about Mercurymon's attack before the Warrior of Steel had ever used it?

_Stop freaking yourself out. _There was no point in reading too far into a hallucination. He should just try to get some sleep, like everyone else.

A sigh drew Jomei's attention to his cousin, though the kendo student remained still as Naoko sat up, rubbing his eyes. Jomei had been sure Naoko was asleep, but apparently he was wrong. With a quick glance around the car, Naoko stood up and tiptoed to the door, closing it behind him.

Frowning, Jomei sat up to stare at the door, half-expecting it to open any second. Where was Naoko going?

"Jomei?"

The boy jumped at Taura's groggy voice behind him. "You aren't asleep?" he asked.

"I was. I woke up just now…Where's Nao?"

"He left."

As Taura sat up, Jomei saw she was frowning almost as deeply as he was. "Where's he going? There are only two other cars!"

"I don't know."

"Wait…" Taura paused. "Why are you up? I thought you'd be exhausted."

"I am."

"So why are you awake?"

Jomei sighed, thoughts returning to that hallucination. There was no doubt that was what was keeping him up, now that he was thinking about it. But why? So he'd imagined Naoko going off the deep end. Creepy, sure, but not something that should keep him up. No, it was something else.

'_You're a coward, Naoko. You've always taken the cheap shots so you didn't have to actually _try, _and then you pretend none of it was your fault_. _I don't know how you ever became a Legendary Warrior!'_

Jomei cringed.

"Jomei? Look if you don't want to talk about it, just say so."

"It's…complicated." With another sigh, he met Taura's probing gaze, gathering his thoughts. Then he plunged in, telling her about the strange realm he'd imagined and the conversation between himself and Naoko. Only hesitating for a second, he told her about Naoko Spirit Evolving and attacking him.

When he was done, she leaned back on her bench. "Whoa," she breathed.

"Yeah. And what bugs me the most is that I set him off. I don't know what I was thinking."

Taura shook her head weakly as she tried to absorb what Jomei was saying. "The Digital World sure is crazy, huh?"

"Yeah…" Looking away, Jomei bit his lip.

"There's more, isn't there?" Jomei didn't answer, silently debating whether or not to tell Taura. "Isn't there?" she pressed.

"Yeah, there is."

-.-.-.-

No one else seemed to have had a problem getting to sleep. In the darkness, Nao had heard their breathing slow as the stress of the past few days melted off them and they relented to exhaustion. Nao would have loved to be sleeping himself right now; he was stiff and tired, and had been since he had first evolved.

But he couldn't sleep. As he lay on the bench, Nao's thoughts were in a jumble. Finally he got restless and, making sure not to wake anyone, left the car. To be honest, he wasn't even sure what he was planning to do. A three-car Trailmon was hardly the place to take a midnight walk, and every so often a bump or dip in the track would throw him off balance.

When he wound up at the back of the train, he decided to stay there, leaning against the railing. Wind whipped around him, flinging his hair into his eyes and snatching away his breath. If he looked up, Nao could forget about the dome of light in the distance, which stung his tired eyes. Two moons had already risen, and a pinkish tint to the horizon told Nao another one would join them any minute. Closing his eyes, he smiled, feeling truly relaxed for the first time since entering the Digital World.

The peace didn't last long. In his mind, he saw light appear out of the darkness and solidify into a long, ghastly blade. Nao shuddered, but the vision continued, a surge of anger flowing through his Spirit as he faded into the shadows. At the time, he had watched with a demented pleasure as Jomei had stood and turned in circles, panic written on his face. He always _had _been afraid of what was hiding in the dark.

_Finally_, Mercurymon had thought, stepping out of the darkness behind his cousin. Raising his sword, he had relished the helplessness on Jomei's face as the boy turned.

Shaking himself, Nao blotted out the rest of the scene. _What was I _thinking? _Jomei's my cousin! _All Nao had wanted was to find his Spirit so he wouldn't have to rely on the others any longer, but since receiving it, he had been plagued with doubt. And the worst part was his hallucination could have been real.

'_Alchemy Blade!'_

The same sword he had used against Jomei in the hallucination turned out to be one of Mercurymon's attacks. It had all been identical, from the way light itself turned into the blade to the weight of the weapon in his hands.

With a steadying breath, Nao looked down at his hands, which were dangling over the railing. The sight of that sword had scared him, made him fear he would turn on Jomei if he didn't control himself. So when he had seen Ryuudamon unconscious, helpless, he had choked. Was it right to scan him? The Rookie had said he didn't want to fight them. Then again, he had been loyal to Serpimon, fighting whole-heartedly until the end.

And that was what worried Nao.

What if Ryuudamon really _was_ loyal to Serpimon, more loyal than Nao had guessed? What if he continued her campaign now that the Legendary Warriors were gone? There were still dozens of henchmen in the forest. All they needed was a leader and they would continue to terrorize the Continent of Light.

_Maybe Jomei was right. I should have scanned him. _Brow furrowed, Nao silently berated himself for being so weak. _We can't even go back now to make sure things are alright. The Continent of Earth needs us._

'_I don't know how you ever became a Legendary Warrior!'_

That, at least, Nao understood. He'd never felt like he was meant to receive a Spirit. Taura and Jomei, sure. If any kid could be expected to save the world, it was those two. Even Kado had a Warrior's mentality. He would be just the type to play the unlikely hero, to start from humble beginnings and discover some kind of inner strength. But Nao? Nao wasn't an athlete or an adventurer; he was a bookworm. He was a coward.

Everything Jomei had said in that vision had been true. More than true; it had been as though Jomei were voicing all the thoughts Nao was trying to suppress.

But in the end, it was just a dream. He harbored those doubts; it was true, but they didn't have to hold him back. He _was _a Warrior, even if he didn't understand why he had been chosen. If he persevered, everything else would fall into place. For now, the best thing he could to was get some rest. Sparing a final glance for the trio of moons, Nao stepped away from the railing and trudged back to the others.

"There's more, isn't there?"

Nao paused before he entered the car where he had thought the others were sleeping. He opened a door a crack and peered in, surprised to see both Taura and Jomei sitting up, carrying on a conversation. Jomei glanced at Nao's empty bench.

"Isn't there?" Taura asked again.

"Yeah, there is." Nao nearly gasped at the tentative tone to Jomei's voice, but forced himself to remain silent so he could hear what they were saying. "I know that it was just a hallucination, but when I saw Mercurymon with that sword I, I don't know, freaked out."

"You said it yourself, Jomei. It was just a hallucination. So what's the big deal? You know Nao would never attack you."

Swallowing hard, Nao gripped the doorknob tighter and shook his head in disbelief. He didn't like the sound of this…

"So then how did I see Mercurymon use his Alchemy Blade before he ever did for real? Maybe…The Digital World is crazy, right? So maybe it was like a vision of the future or something."

"Okay," Taura said. "I'm not really sure I get how you came to that conclusion, but…assuming that's true, what are you trying to say?"

Jomei paused for an unbearably long moment, and Nao was afraid his cousin somehow knew he was listening. Finally Jomei shrugged. "Naoko attacked me, Taura. Maybe it was just my imagination, but on the off-chance it wasn't, I need to be prepared."

Shutting the door as quietly as he could manage, Nao stumbled back until he bumped into the bench and dropped numbly onto it. _Oh, my gosh…_ Shocked, Nao ran a shaky hand through his hair. _No. It couldn't have been real! But Jomei…_Nao's eyes widened in understanding. _He was really there! And I really… _Clenching his jaw, the Warrior of Steel squeezed his eyes shut and wished fervently it was just a dream.

No such luck.

_Jomei will never trust me again!_

-.-.-.-

The bright midmorning sun was what finally woke Jomei. Instinctively, he threw an arm over his eyes, but the resulting darkness shocked him fully awake. Blinking rapidly, he mused over why the shadow surprised him so much. He supposed the last four days had changed his expectations more than he had first thought.

Sitting up, he glanced around to see that Taura, Kado, and Tapirmon were still asleep. Strangely, though, the fourth blue-cushioned bench was empty. Apparently Naoko had never returned during the night. Or he had returned after Jomei had fallen asleep and had already left again. With a glance around, he rolled his eyes. How far could he be on a three-car train?

"HEY! HUMANS! WAKE UP!"

With a chorus of cries, the children and Tapirmon threw their hands over their ears, glaring at the front of the car, where Buffalo's shout had come from.

"Deafen us, why don't you?" Taura yelled.

The Trailmon snorted. "If you've got a problem with it, you can swim the rest of the way!"

"Fine, I get it. I get it!" She stuck her tongue out while standing to stretch her legs. "So how much farther do we have to go?"

"You wanna know? Take a look for yourself!"

Jomei raised an eyebrow, but turned anyway to stare out the window. The ocean here, a much deeper blue than around the Continent of Light, was no more than fifty feet below the Trailmon, and not far ahead they could see weathered cliffs, and on top, a thick, tall forest.

"Wow!" Kado gasped. "_That's _the Continent of Earth? Hey, what's on the other side of the mountains?"

"How am _I_ supposed to know?" Buffalo grumbled.

_Mountains? _Jomei wondered. A glance out the far windows answered his question, as the cliff was intersected far to the north by a mountain range that trailed a chain of barren islands into the ocean. The door opened slowly, Nao entering the car and joining Kado without so much as a sidelong glance at his cousin.

Leaning over, Taura whispered, "What's up with him?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since last night."

Moments later, they disembarked in a shady village on the edge of the forest. The buildings seemed to be carved into the trunks of the enormous trees, many of which were more than fifty feet wide and three times as tall, signs dangling from low branches. Roots laced the streets, but none of the digimon paid them any mind, hopping or fluttering over them without a second thought. Digimon tended stalls in an open market, just visible down a side street; the racket quickly drew the children's attention.

Finally taking notice of the new arrivals, digimon slowly approached the boarding platform, murmuring amongst themselves. The town seemed to be populated primarily by plant-, insect-, and bird-type digimon of varying size and color.

"They're humans!" a small green digimon cried, lifting off the ground in her excitement. "They must be the Legendary Warriors!" This sent a wave of excitement through the gathering crowd, and within moments it seemed the whole town had come to confirm the news. Beyond the boarding platform, what was visible of the village lay empty.

"They've finally come!" one of the digimon called.

"They can help us!"

"We'll finally be free!"

"Tell me," a calm feminine voice said from the crowd. A collective gasp sounded, and the digimon adopted a respectful silence. They parted to allow the yellow-armored digimon passage to the humans. "Are you the Legendary Warriors?" The digimon's armor sported red stripes on the forearms, and gray claws – three on each hand and one on each foot. White-and-purple butterfly wings protruded from her back to match her broad antennae. Her olive green eyes studied the group with wary anticipation. "Are you the children destined to save our village?"

"Destined?" Taura chuckled. "Well, I don't know about _destined_, but…yeah. We're the Legendary Warriors."

A cheer erupted, taking the children by surprise. Relief evident in her eyes, the insectoid digimon quieted the crowd. "Wonderful," she said to the Warriors. "On the behalf of us all, allow me to welcome you to Forest Vale. My name is Butterflymon, elected leader of these gracious digimon."

Taura beamed as she introduced herself and the others. "We'll do whatever we can to help you," she promised, casting her eyes around the diverse group of villagers. Suddenly she chuckled. "But, um, we don't really know what's going on here, so you'll have to explain it to us."

Butterflymon nodded grimly, her cheerfulness gone. "Of course. But first, would you like a tour?"

"Absolutely!" Kado cried, literally jumping at the offer. His enthusiasm elicited a gentle giggle from Forest Vale's leader, who turned as she gestured for the Warriors to follow. Their first stop was the market, where stands were so closely packed it was hard to tell one from the next. Fresh fruit was piled next to a rack of wind chimes; vibrant bouquets leaned against generously-frosted pastries. Some of the towns-digimon had already returned to their business, haggling over prices with a combination of money – digidollars – and their own goods.

On the far side of the market, the group emerged onto a quiet street lined with tree trunk-shops offering services that ranged from armor repair to glass blowing. A few digimon milled around inside these shops, but most of the vendors were busy with their craft.

This street came to an end at a large open plaza, a statue of the Angels spewing water into a broad basin surrounded by benches. At the moment, the plaza was alive with activity. Some digimon were strolling or sitting with friends, while others, in a hurry to be somewhere else, cut across the sunny expanse. In one corner, a group of Rookies had organized some kind of game; several of them came over to speak to the humans, awe written on their face.

"It seems like you've been waiting for us for a long time," Taura said as they entered the residential district. Here there was more variety, as some homes were perched on tree branches as high as thirty feet off the ground. Others, while on the ground, were buildings standing independent of any tree trunk.

Butterflymon lifted a hand in greeting to a group of passing Mushroomon. "We have," she admitted. "Ever since the land changed, our scholars have talked about a prophecy that has existed for many years. Everyone in the Digital World knows that humans once came to save our world with the power of the Legendary Warriors."

Kado nodded. "Tapirmon said something about them. Do you know who they were?"

"No." Butterflymon sent the disappointed boy a sympathetic smile. "I, too, have wondered about their identity, but no one seems to remember them. The entire Digital World and all the digimon in it were scanned before the Warriors defeated the evil corrupting our world, so very few remember anything from that time.

"In any case," she continued, "the scholars told me that the sudden, drastic change in the Digital World was a sure sign of looming evil, and that humans would soon be called on to save the world once more."

"So you've been waiting for over twenty years?" Taura gaped.

Butterflymon shook her head. "We doubted the scholars until about fifteen years ago, when the Flock began terrorizing the Continent of Earth. Since that day, we have held out hope that your arrival was not far away."

"The Flock?" Jomei asked, shooting Tapirmon a questioning look; the Rookie shrugged.

A crash halted all explanation, as thick reddish dust rose up in a roiling cloud. Digimon began to flee from the sound, in their haste trampling those unfortunate enough to stumble and fall. Only respect for Butterflymon and innate reverence for the humans saved the clueless group from the same fate.

"What's going on?" Butterflymon demanded of a passing digimon, reaching out to seize her wing. "What are you running from?"

"They're here!" the terrified bird shrieked, struggling against her leader's grip on her wing. "Please! Let me go!"

"Who, Biyomon?" Butterflymon urged. "_Who _is here?"

"The Flock!" As Butterflymon, stunned, released the smaller digimon, she hurried off, taking to the air to increase her speed.

"This can't be happening," Forest Vale's leader whispered, eyes glued to the settling dust. "They can't be here! They'll destroy half the town before they're satisfied!"

Scowling, Taura laid her hand on the shaken insect's shoulder. "Look, I don't know who exactly these creeps are, but I do know we came here to help."

Butterflymon nodded, regaining her composure. "You're right. I'm ready; let's go."

"Wait!" Taura protested, tightening her grip. "I'm sure you're a great fighter and all, but right now your village needs you. Everyone's panicking. Go calm them down, get them to safety. Tapirmon, you go with her; we can handle the Flock."

"Are you sure?" Butterflymon said, relenting to Taura's gentle shove. "The Flock is incredibly powerful. Don't underestimate them."

Grinning, Taura shooed her farther away. "Relax! This is our destiny, isn't it?" The gogglegirl's confidence eased Butterflymon's fear, and she fluttered toward the plaza, Tapirmon at her side. "Alright, guys," Taura continued once she was out of earshot. Turning back to the others, she clenched her fists. "Let's go find out just who this 'Flock' is."

The foursome charged down the nearly abandoned street, dodging stragglers or, when necessary, helping them to stand. Soon the devastation became all too apparent: buildings reduced to splinters, trees burning from the inside out. Every few seconds, a new cloud of dust would rise from somewhere up ahead, and the Warriors would hear a round of gleeful snickers.

"Hey, Egalamon!" a voice called from overhead. "Look at this! Humans!"

"Really now?" someone, definitely a female, replied. "I don't suppose they could be those Legendary Warriors we're always hearing about?"

A third voice, significantly deeper than the first two, chuckled. "I hope so. Things have been boring lately."

"Ooh! I wanna play with them! Can I, Egalamon?"

The female sighed. "Fine, go ahead. But don't kill them just yet. I want a chance to have some fun."

"Oh, yay!" The childish voice suddenly turned threatening, and a shadow began to emerge from the dust. "Alright, kiddies. Let's see what you've got."

**Next time: "New Tricks" – The Warriors fight Jaymon, but will they need more than Human Spirits to emerge victorious?**

**A/N: Last update of 2010! Hope you all had a Merry Christmas (or whichever holiday you choose to celebrate) a Happy Almost-New Year to you all! I'm super excited for 2011! New enemies, new evolutions, and all-new chapters. That's right, three years ago I published the first nine chapters of this story. That means that after the next update, the rest of this story has never been seen by human eyes...except mine...**

**On a side note, I'll be publishing my first Kingdom Hearts fic this Saturday. It might slow down updates on this story a bit, but you can still expect a new Redux chapter every 2-3 weeks for the foreseeable future. (Now to come up with a title for my KH fic...)  
**


	9. New Tricks

**Last Time…Memories new and old were brought up on the Trailmon ride from the Continent of Light to the Continent of Earth. Eventually, the Warriors reached Forest Vale, a village under attack. Before anything could be explained, the kids found themselves in the middle of a battle! And just who is this "Flock"?**

**Chapter 9: New Tricks**

_As long as the Earth can make a spring every year, I can. As long as the Earth can flower and produce nurturing fruit, I can, because I'm the Earth. I won't give up until the Earth gives up.  
-Alice Walker_

"Alright, kiddies. Let's see what you've got."

With a chuckle, a shadow detached itself from the dust could, and a flex of its wings revealed a huge tan bird to the children. Its wingspan was easily over thirty feet, the tops of both wings encased in thin, segmented black armor. Thicker blue armor stretched from the base of the wings to the end of the tail. The digimon's head was covered by a black helmet with half a dozen spike-like protrusions. Diving towards the digidestined, the bird studied them with sharp green eyes.

"Just four?" he whined. "And here I was hoping I'd get to fight all ten."

Snorting, Taura grabbed her D-Tector. "Look, buddy. I don't know who you are, but the four of us are more than a match for you!" A beep from her digivice surprised her, and she raised it. A picture of the digimon filled the screen.

"Jaymon," identified the voice that had spoken to them in the Crystal Castle. "An Ultimate-level Virus digimon, this prankster will use any trick he can to gain the advantage. Beware his Mimicry, or you'll find yourself at the mercy of your own attack."

"Again?" Jomei groaned, activating his own D-Tector. "First Ryuudamon, then Mercurymon, and now _him_?"

Taura shrugged. "I guess someone got lazy."

The female voice, whom Jaymon had identified as Egalamon, spoke from the dust. "Jaymon! Meet us at the Nest when you're done."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes?" Taura cried.

Jaymon cackled. "Well, I have to give myself fifteen minutes to get there. That leaves us with five minutes – all the time I need to send you nestlings packing!"

Now thoroughly irritated, Taura raised her D-Tector along with the boys. "Execute: Spirit Evolution!"

"Ranamon!"

"Arbormon!"

"Grumblemon!"

"Mercurymon!"

"So you _are _the Legendary Warriors!" Jaymon cried gleefully. "This could be fun after all!"

As Ranamon gritted her teeth, Grumblemon leaped forward. "Sandstorm!" he cried, creating a larger whirlwind than ever before. Caught off-guard, Jaymon was drawn into the attack before he could react. Grunting, he crashed to the ground, where the other Warriors wasted no time in pouncing on him.

"Aqualine Metamorphosis!"

"Tree Cannon!" As soon as Ranamon re-formed and delivered a powerful kick, she back-flipped out of the way of Arbormon's incoming attack.

Waiting only until Ranamon was well out of the way, Mercurymon raised his shield. "Steel Alloy!" The first of the glowing shards reached Jaymon as he was lifting off the ground, piercing the vulnerable undersides of his wings. For a moment, his upward motion was halted, but an angry flap of his wings blew the remainder of the attack away. In the air, he circled out of range of the Warriors' attacks, eyeing them with curiosity.

"Hmm…What to use, what to use?" He paused, then chuckled. "Perfect!" Tucking his wings in to his sides, Jaymon entered a steep dive, heading towards the center of the loose semicircle of Warriors. Just before he impacted, he flung his wings out, swerving so he was now zooming at Ranamon. "Sandstorm!" he cried, and the attack instantly wrapped around him.

Shocked, Ranamon stood rooted to the spot as the twister careened into her, culminating in a harsh jolt as Jaymon rammed her midsection, sending her flying back into a tree. The branches groaned and snapped under the pressure, but gave way enough to spare the Warrior of Water critical injury. She dropped to the ground, wincing as she landed, and shot Jaymon a nasty glare as the bird took to the skies again.

"Oh my gosh, he's like a Blue Mage!" Arbormon gushed. "I mean, his Mimicry is just like Learn – whenever he hit him with an attack, Mimicry lets him use it against us!"

Grumblemon scoffed. "We can see that for ourselves, genius!" He turned to Ranamon. "You okay?"

Rubbing her side, she nodded. "I'll live. Just watch out." The other Warriors grunted their acknowledgment, eyes glued to the circling Ultimate.

"Oh, come on," Jaymon called. "I didn't come here to play dodge-bird. Party poopers!" Reversing his momentum, he hovered over the foursome. "Fine then. Try to dodge this!" With his beak open wide, Jaymon let out a grating shriek. The Warriors cringed, throwing their hands over their ears in an attempt to block out the noise. Their efforts were for naught, though, as a shockwave hit, lifting them off their feet.

"I'm sorry, did I break the tin can's mirrors? Aw, too bad!"

Ranamon picked herself up off the ground and glanced over to where Mercurymon was doing the same. Much to her dismay, she saw that Jaymon was right: the mirrors on both of Mercurymon's bucklers had shattered, doubtless as a result of his attempt to protect the rest of his body. The Warrior of Steel's lips were set in a tight frown as he assessed the damage. At the very least, his Irony Shield attack was inaccessible to him for the rest of this battle, and Ranamon doubted he could even use his Steel Alloy attack anymore.

Jaymon cackled at Mercurymon's plight. "Don't feel bad. You're friends won't be any better off in a few minutes." As he spoke, he entered a gradual descent, still circling just out of reach. Ranamon cast her eyes about, running through her attacks in an attempt to come up with some sort of plan. Her Vapor Trident would be useless; Jaymon would see an Aqualine Metamorphosis coming and counter it. But maybe she could sneak a Dousing Torrent past him. It was worth a try.

The instant Jaymon's eyes turned away from her, Ranamon muttered, "Dousing Torrent," careful not to let her adrenaline raise her voice to a level her opponent could hear. Hoping he didn't notice, she waved the water sac into the air above and behind him. Then, as Jaymon prepared to dive, she flattened it into a disk sent it hurtling at the space between his helmet and the blue armor.

With a squawk, Jaymon crashed to the ground, where Mercurymon was quick to attack. "Alchemy Blade!" he cried, plunging the blade into a gap in the armor near the base of Jaymon's right wing. The bird roared in pain as he threw Mercurymon off him, struggling to ascend. His wound hampered him, though, and he hovered at less than half his previous height.

"Cheater!" he whined. "That wasn't fair! Acorn Hoarder!" Spreading his wings wide, Jaymon loosed dozens of large acorns. When they hit the ground, they exploded, each leaving a smoldering crater five feet in diameter. A handful fell towards Ranamon, Grumblemon, and Arbormon, but the vast majority exploded around Mercurymon, soon hiding him behind a veil of smoke and dust.

As the wind picked up, a ring of fractal code sprouted from the Warrior of Steel, a small object hovering just in front of the data.

Jaymon's eyes widened. "What's this? A Spirit?" He grinned, a strange sight on such a bird-like face. "You shouldn't have." He flexed his wings and sped towards the helpless Warrior.

"Nao!" Arbormon cried, taking a step forward. "Redwood Crush!" In the span of two seconds, a hundred-foot-tall redwood tree grew up from the remains of a destroyed house, directly in front of Jaymon. Nearly colliding with it, the Ultimate backpedaled, not seeing the Warrior of Wood uproot the tree as effortlessly as if it were a weed. Arbormon swung it easily, connecting with his target and sending Jaymon tumbling into the forest.

By the time the Virus digimon reappeared, the fractal code had faded, leaving Nao unconscious at the center of a large, deep crater. Furious, Jaymon let out a screech and turned on Arbormon.

"Steel Alloy!" The shards flew towards the Warrior of Wood. Then, as Grumblemon attempted to take advantage of Jaymon's preoccupation with revenge, the Ultimate swerved to face him. "Tree Cannon!" The Warrior of Earth jumped out of the way of the dual projectiles, but Arbormon was not so fast on his feet. While Grumblemon landed, off-balance, the other Warrior's fractal code appeared.

"Kado!" Ranamon gasped, running forward. Her cry drew Grumblemon's attention, but both were knocked down as Jaymon swept in to collect the Spirit.

"You're not cheating me out of another Spirit, humans!" he snapped. Not slowing, he clicked his beak shut around the glowing object. Kado fell to the ground, limp. "Ooh," Jaymon murmured. "This opens up _so_ many possibilities!"

Panting hard, Grumblemon came up beside the Warrior of Water. "This isn't good," he hissed. "With the power of that Spirit, there's no telling how strong he's going to be."

"Cedar Snare!"

The pair gasped as roots erupted beneath them, twining around their limbs. _Wait, _Ranamon thought, realization dawning. _Kado didn't use this attack. That means… _She barely managed to curtail an outburst of profanity. _If he gets a hand on our Spirit, he can use any of our attacks!_

"Oh, did I interrupt something?" Ranamon glanced up to see Jaymon settle on a branch overhead. Though his left wing easily folded in against his body, the right one remained slightly extended.

Ranamon flashed a smug smirk. "Looks like you're hurt, Jaymon. I guess we aren't as weak as you thought, huh?" The look he sent her only made Ranamon laugh. "We aren't beat yet."

"Neither am I. Acorn Hoarder!" Taking to the sky, Jaymon released his bombs in the direction of the giant pine tree he had been perched on. They exploded near the ground, taking a large chunk out of the trunk. Circling around, the Ultimate charged the tree. "Sandstorm!" This attack sent the tree teetering towards the two trapped Warriors. "Timber!" With a light tap from Jaymon's talons, the tree began to fall.

Eyes wide, Ranamon shared a frightened look with Grumblemon. Neither of them could move, preventing them from using most of their attacks. As far as Ranamon could tell, they only had one chance. "Aqualine Metamorphosis!" she cried, desperate. Nothing happened.

Jaymon chuckled as the tree continued to fall. "Don't you know? Those roots prevent attacks like that. But I'll make sure to use it for you once I have your Spirits!"

On the verge of panic, Ranamon thrashed violently in an attempt to break the roots, but couldn't muster the strength. Just when she thought it was too late, Grumblemon ripped one arm free and, with a gesture, flung several large rocks at the looming gymnosperm. It landed in two pieces, one on either side of the trapped Warriors, and Jaymon did not look happy.

"You're not supposed to be that stubborn," he pouted, soon dropping the expression for one of fury. "Fine then. I'll just finish you myself!" The digimon barreled into Grumblemon, sending him flying as the remaining roots disintegrated. Rubbing her wrists, Ranamon turned to go after Jaymon, only to be met with a face full of blue. She stumbled back from the impact of the armored tail, forcing a devolution moments before unconsciousness claimed her.

-.-.-.-

The first thing Kado noticed was the pain: dull and fading, but still there. Every time he attempted to move, his muscles screamed in protest. Finally he gathered his senses and opened his eyes. Through the branches overhead, he could see clouds tinted orange in a navy sky.

_What happened? _he wondered while trying to make sense of his fuzzy memories. He remembered fighting Jaymon…trying to stop him from taking Nao's Spirit…then… With a gasp, he shot upright, quickly regretting the action as pain tore the air from his lungs.

"Careful," someone whispered, laying a hand on his back. "You aren't in very good shape; you probably shouldn't even be sitting up."

Once he got his breath back, Kado shook his head. "But Jaymon–"

"Shh. He's gone, for now. Here. Drink this."

Kado accepted the clay cup and took a drink of something that tasted of honey. As he did so, he turned, not surprised to see that it was Butterflymon who had spoken. She watched him silently as he drank, then took the cup back.

"What happened?" Kado asked.

The insectoid digimon sighed. "I was hoping you could tell me. After I managed to calm down most of the towns-digimon, I noticed things were silent where you had gone, so I went to find you. You were all unconscious."

Gulping, Kado glanced around, seeing where he was for the first time. It was a large, simple platform, a single door set in the tree trunk to his right. Kado was sitting on a thin mat, a light blanket draped over his legs. Nearby, the others had been provided similar accommodations, though none of them had yet woken.

"Then we failed."

"Not at all!" At the digimon's words, Kado frowned. "You may have lost to Jaymon, but you saved Forest Vale."

"But if we were all knocked out, why didn't Jaymon destroy the whole town?"

"I don't know," Butterflymon admitted. "You must have hurt him bad enough to make him doubt his ability to stand against Forest Vale's defenses. What matters is that you're alright and our home is safe."

Turning away from her cheerfulness, Kado bit his lip. "But what if the Flock comes back? We barely survived against one of them!"

"We'll deal with that when we have to. For now, try to relax. Get some rest."

But Kado couldn't relax, so he remained where he was, accepting food when Butterflymon offered. Several minutes later, Nao stirred, and as Forest Vale's leader tended to him, Kado stood. The platform was ringed with a thin but sturdy guard rail, which was the perfect height for Kado to lean against as he looked at the town far below.

"Why are you humans are so stubborn?" Butterflymon cried in exasperation. Kado turned with a small smile to see Nao stand and approach him. "You should both be resting, not walking around!"

"We're fine, really," Nao replied, turning to face her. "We just want to talk."

Reluctantly, the digimon nodded. "Alright. But don't push yourselves too far. I'll go get some more food."

As she left, the two boys turned together to watch the sunset. The sun had sunk behind the treetops by now, casting long, indigo shadows across the town, where a few digimon still scampered about. Lights flickered on in windows as residents returned from work or the rubble at the edge of town. It seemed the dozen or so families whose homes had been destroyed had friends more than willing to take them in until they could rebuild.

Kado smiled at the thought. "This seems to be a really close town, almost like they all consider each other family."

Nodding absently, Nao's eyes strayed to the pockmarked clearing where the battle had taken place. "Look at that destruction," he whispered. "Jaymon is so powerful! How are we supposed to beat him?"

All Kado could do was shrug, since he himself was thinking the same thing. "I thought Serpimon was tough, but this guy is even worse!"

"He _is _an Ultimate."

Whirling, Kado nearly lost his balance and had to grip the railing to remain upright. "Tapirmon!" he cried. "You're alright!"

The Rookie cocked his head to the side, blinking at Kado in confusion. "Well of course I am. It's you who you should be thankful is alive."

The boys grimaced simultaneously. "He's got a point," Nao muttered. "We were the ones fighting an impossible fight."

"Not _impossible_," Tapirmon said.

"Sure seemed like it to me," muttered Kado.

"That would be because you were fighting with the equivalent of Champions."

With a groan, Kado smacked his forehead. "Great… So we're going to need Beast Spirits to fight them?"

"I would imagine so."

Turning back to the sunset, the Warrior of Wood wrinkled his nose in disgust. "If only we knew where to find them."

After a few moments, movement from behind caught the trio's attention and they turned to see Jomei stirring. He sat up and, catching sight of them, nudged Taura, who groggily waved him off. But Jomei merely rolled his eyes as he persisted. Eventually, the gogglegirl came to enough to realize what was going on, and she sat up with a gasp once the memories hit.

"Where is he?" she hissed, twisting this way and that to catch sight of their enemy. When she found no one, she paused, frowning, and glanced to the three who were standing for an explanation.

Kado was the one to speak up, glancing down to the battlefield as he spoke. "He's gone. Butterflymon said we were all unconscious when she came, but Jaymon wasn't there. He hasn't come back yet, either. She thinks we must have hurt him enough to scare him off."

A pained look on her face, Taura stood clumsily and approached the railing; Jomei was not far behind. "Well," Taura began, rubbing her temples gingerly, "he was still ready for a fight when I passed out." Suddenly she gasped and reached into her pocket. "He didn't…"

The Warrior of Earth shook his head, but took out his own D-Tector. "No. After you passed out, he charged me, but I managed to dodge and use my Sandstorm attack. He knocked me out pretty quick, but I know I hit his wings. Maybe it was getting too hard for him to fly so he decided to pull back."

"Yeah," Taura agreed slowly. "And he wasn't empty handed, either, so he probably figured he didn't need to risk taking more."

"What do you mean?"

Both Taura and Jomei flinched at Kado's question, glancing helplessly at each other before the Warrior of Water reluctantly turned to the younger boy. "Um, see…" She paused, avoiding his probing gaze, and scratched the back of her head. "He took your Spirit, Kado."

Kado couldn't speak at first, couldn't move from the shock. Finally, sputtering half-formed questions in disbelief, he snatched his D-Tector. Sure enough, when he tried to access his Spirit, the screen showed only static. "B-but how?" he asked lamely.

Sighing, Taura spread her hands. "You made him mad, I guess, when you stopped him from taking Nao's." At this, Nao frowned, but Taura didn't appear to notice. "So he attacked you and then knocked us down before we could do anything about it."

Unable to take his eyes off the digivice, Kado turned around. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "Now you're down a Spirit because of me."

"It's my fault," Nao argued as he laid his hand on Kado's shoulder. "You were just protecting me."

Kado shoved his D-Tector into his pocket and pulled away. "At least you did some real damage to him. I barely did anything."

"Kado," Taura protested, exasperation evident in her voice. "Stop talking like that. You did plenty."

"I can't do anything now, though." When no one replied, Kado turned and hastened away, through a door set in the tree trunk. On the other side, he discovered that the tree had been hollowed out to make room for a primitive elevator consisting of a wooden cage attached to a rope and pulley system. Almost immediately after he stepped onto it, the elevator began to descend.

At the bottom, Kado managed a smile for the Bearmon who was running the elevator, then stepped out into the dim street. His wanderings took him into the residential district, where he could see families sitting down to dinner through windows. Every so often, a small digimon, catching sight of Kado, sprang from the table, pressed up against the window, and waved. As the parents reprimanded their child, Kado plastered a smile on his face and waved back, cringing at their excitement.

_I'm so useless_, he thought, turning away from the latest cheerful scene. _Without my Spirit, I'll only get in the way! _All the families reminded him just how much he missed his own, and Kado eventually retreated to the central plaza. Once there, he settled down in a secluded corner and stared at his D-Tector. So much for being destined to save the village.

At a nearby rustling, Kado snapped his head up. "Who's there?"

A small green digimon with black lightning-shaped markings and purple claws, beak, and stingers tumbled out from a nearby bush. "I'm sorry," he said, staring at the ground bashfully. "I didn't think anyone would be here. I just…you're a human, right?"

Nodding, Kado frowned. "Yeah…" His digivice beeped at him, displaying a picture of the small creature. "Dokunemon," the boy read aloud. "Rookie-level, Virus larva digimon."

"Oh, wow!" The insectoid Rookie had looked up at the sight of the D-Tector, and now approached cautiously. "Can I look at it?"

Kado surrendered it silently, thinking, _Why not? It's worthless to me anyway._

"Next time, I'm gonna fight too. My parents keep telling me I'm too little, but I don't care. I wanna do something important." Dokunemon paused to look up at Kado. "Like you."

Averting his eyes, the boy forced a smile. "That's brave of you. But if we do our job right, Jaymon and his friends won't be coming back here ever again."

"Really?"

"…Yeah."

-.-.-.-

"Where's Kado?"

Taura cringed as she turned to Butterflymon, who was standing near the door with a tray of food, staring at the group in confusion. "We…don't know," the girl admitted, shifting her gaze to Jomei. "He got upset and ran off."

The leader of Forest Vale shook her head slowly. "I don't understand. Why would he be upset?"

"Because Jaymon stole his Spirit." Since he was leaning against the railing and facing away from everyone else, Jomei's voice was slightly muffled, and Butterflymon looked as if she thought she had misheard him.

"It's true," Taura supplied as she tore her gaze off Jomei. "There was nothing we could do about it. In fact, we're lucky he didn't steal more of our Spirits." She looked away and rubbed the back of her neck. "Kado feels bad now that he can't fight. We were gonna go after him, but…"

"You figured he could use the time alone." Butterflymon waved her hand, seeming to agree despite her sigh.

With a chuckle, Taura shrugged. "That wasn't our reasoning exactly, but okay."

"It's probably for the best." Glancing at the food she carried, Butterflymon stepped forward. "Here. You should eat something, and get some rest."

While they ate, Taura's mind replayed the battle over and over. They had to have missed something; there _had _to be a way to beat Jaymon. Even if they had been vastly overpowered, they were going to fight him again – and they would be lucky if it was only him – so they needed a plan. If only they could fly! When Jaymon got too high, all they could do was wait for him to plan his next move. They were always reacting to his attacks, and there was no way they'd win if they were always on defense.

Nao cleared his throat, startling Taura out of her reverie. "Butterflymon?" he asked hesitantly. Silently, the digimon looked up in acknowledgement. "Do you…You wouldn't happen to know anything about Beast Spirits being near here, would you?"

"Beast Spirits?" she breathed.

"You said it yourself," Tapirmon said. "The Flock is all Ultimate-level. If these children are going to beat them, they're going to have to become stronger. Their Human Spirits just don't have the kind of raw power we need."

Taura felt her mood brighten at the mere mention of Beast Spirits. _That's it! _she thought. _We just need to find them! The Flock doesn't stand a chance!_

Unfortunately, Butterflymon's next statement smothered her mounting hope. "I've never heard of anything called 'Beast Spirits.'"

Throwing his arms up, Jomei stormed away. "Get our hopes up, why don't you! We may as well just give up now. We got our butts kicked last time, and now Kado doesn't even have a Spirit." The Warrior of Water chased after her best friend in an attempt to calm him down, but he refused to be mollified. "Let go, Taura!" he snapped when she pulled back on his arm. "You know as well as I do that we don't stand a chance as we are now!"

"Of course I know that! But we have to try!"

"How, by wandering around?" Jomei snorted. "We don't even know if our Beast Spirits are on this continent, let alone _where_!"

A yellow appendage, three claws clenched together in the impression of a fist, thrust into the space between the arguing pair, demanding attention. "Listen for a moment," Butterflymon said softly but firmly. "I've never heard of anything referred to as Beast Spirits, but there is something in the prophecy that may point you in the right direction."

At this, everyone straightened ever-so-slightly, eyes narrowed in interest. Taura stifled a triumphant cry. "Where?" she asked. "What does it say?"

"If I remember correctly, the lines came immediately after it indicated the children of legend would come here in their quest to banish a greater evil." The leader of Forest Vale paused a moment to collect her thoughts, before she quoted the lines haltingly. "'At the Celestial plinth rebuilt, a new force shall awaken… It shan't be readily claimed, nor…nor all together, for this is the power to divide and destroy…as well as to conquer and save.'"

Taura chuckled. "That doesn't exactly sound encouraging."

"Which part?" Jomei asked sarcastically. "The dividing or the destroying?"

"Actually, I was thinking more about the whole awakening thing," the girl admitted. "Doesn't it sound like this force has a will of its own?"

Butterflymon stepped forward once again. "I don't think the prophecy was meant to discourage you," she said. "As long as you take the warning to heart and go in prepared, you'll be fine. I'm sure of it."

"Says the one who'll be safe at home when _we_ go looking for trouble," Jomei muttered. "What does it mean by Celestial plinth, anyway?"

With a sigh, Butterflymon gestured toward the door. "Come with me and I'll tell you what we know." The elevator cage was too small to fit the entire group, so Nao and the two digimon went first while Taura and Jomei waited for the next ride.

Once the cage was out of sight, Jomei leaned over and whispered, "Is it just me, or do these people not understand the prophecy any more than we do?"

"It certainly seems like it." Taura groaned. "We can't waste time trying to figure out some old riddle! We've got to find our Beast Spirits before Jaymon decides to finish us off!"

Jomei nodded his agreement, and when the cage returned, they stepped in together. "Let's hope they've at least got something."

At the bottom, Butterflymon led them through the town to a quiet street, along which all the windows were dark. They came to a quaint building next to a tree and entered. The large front room was furnished with several couches and armchairs; colorful rugs dotted the floor. Toward the back of the room, a hallway led off, polished wooden doors lining both sides. As they came to a small, windowless room, two candles on the table that took up most of the room flickered to life, prompting a gasp from all three humans.

"Don't be alarmed," Butterflymon soothed, stifling a laugh. "A Wizardmon in our village makes these for us. He'd like you to believe they're magic, but they aren't. They always burn, but the flame is shielded by a rim of wax, so you wouldn't know it. When someone enters the room, the disturbance in the air fans the flame."

"Ingenious," Tapirmon muttered.

The female digimon approached the table, which was bare other than a map spread out and held down in two corners by small stones. On the far side of the table, shelves lined the wall, packed with various books, scrolls, and instruments, many of which were coated in a heavy layer of dust. Ignoring everything on the shelves, Butterflymon tapped a claw on a point near the right side of the map on the table.

"This," she said, "is Forest Vale." Taura moved to get a better look and saw that the map depicted the Continent of Earth, though much of the top half was blank, with only a faint line here and there. A Trailmon track ran along the eastern coast almost to the mountains before it split into two. One track ran to the three largest islands; the other cut through the heart of the continent before coming back to Forest Vale. "We've identified three places the prophecy could be referring to, but we haven't been able to rule any out."

Her claw moved to the first island the Trailmon track ran through. "Dolphmon Cove, where Lord Cherubimon had his castle. It's one of the few areas that remained the same when the land changed." Next, she pointed to a small peak set between the two branches of the track. "Mammothmon Butte. There's a village there that prides itself on knowing and enforcing the will of the Angels." The third point lay in the middle of the forest, directly on the track. "Finally, the New Forest Terminal. It's supposed to be the same location Seraphimon's castle once occupied, but there's really no proof."

Backing away so Tapirmon and the children could study the map, Butterflymon sagged against the wall. "Those are the only three places we know of on the continent that have any connection to the Celestials, but without fully understanding the prophecy, we can't say anything for sure."

"New Forest Terminal," Tapirmon declared. Taura doubted that he'd even heard the other digimon's last statement, but she looked at him expectantly anyway. "I'm sure of it." The Rookie looked up gleefully. "It's the only one that could reasonably be called a plinth, and in any case, it's the only one that's been rebuilt."

Butterflymon shook her head. "With the Flock causing so much damage, all of them have probably been rebuilt at least once."

"Ah, but see, none of them are plinths!" Tapirmon cried as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"What _is _a plinth?" Jomei growled. "And why didn't you say something last time I asked?"

Tapping Jomei's chest with a hoof – much to the boy's irritation – the digimon grinned. "A plinth is the base of a pedestal or column, or figuratively, a relatively flat base for something. The old Forest Terminal was right below the Crystal Castle – I know because Bokomon told me about the time he went there with the other Warriors. The castle itself was set atop a gargantuan tree, so it looked something like a massive pedestal, which would make the Forest Terminal the plinth!"

"It does make sense," Taura admitted, seeing Jomei's skepticism. "And since we've got to start somewhere, this is as good a place as any, right?" Barely waiting for Jomei's nod, the gogglegirl pounded the table with a zealous fist. "Then it's settled. We leave tomorrow!"

-.-.-.-

New Forest Terminal, as they could see through the windows of the Trailmon as they pulled into the station, was not in very good condition. The boarding platform, once shaded by an ivy-covered roof, was split in two by a large crack; overgrown weeds covered most of what remained. Behind it, many houses were in a similar state, some with stone spires jutting through the rubble, others with whole trees fallen on top.

"What happened here?" Kado, who had cheered up considerably upon hearing that they had a good lead on the first Beast Spirit, peered out the window as the Trailmon slowed. The boy wore a horrified look, and when he stood to exit, it was on shaky legs.

Tapirmon looked equally shaken. "A calamity of vulgar proportions, to be sure," he murmured. "But what kind of miscreant would do this?"

The Trailmon – Kettle – shuddered. "I don't know. And you know what? I don't care. I'm outta here!"

"Wait!" Taura shrieked, spinning around. But it was too late; Kettle, in a burst of steam, sped off down the tracks and out of sight. "So much for easy traveling," she grumbled. "Well since we're here, we may as well look around." Hopping down off the dilapidated platform, she led the others to a broad boulevard that cut through the center of the town. "Let's split up. Jomei and I will take everything from this street left, and you three take the rest. Keep an eye on your D-Tectors."

-.-.-.-

Two hours later, having finished their search, the five met up in the center of town. While Jomei roamed the perimeter of a cobbled central square, Nao joined Kado and Tapirmon on the rim of a fountain that, judging by the stagnant water in the basin, had been out of service for some time. Taura stood nearby, studying the abandoned stalls and carts, where rotten food and grimy trinkets sat in neat piles.

"Whatever happened, the whole town left in a hurry," she said, partially to break the silence and partially because the whole situation gave her the chills. "They didn't even bother to pack up their market."

"I doubt they packed much of anything," Jomei agreed, leaning over a half demolished wall, beyond which Taura could see a table set for three. "Which makes me wonder what happened to whoever did all this. If the digimon who lived here all fled, there probably wasn't anyone to delete him."

"So he's still alive?" Kado asked, wide eyes flitting from street to street.

Jomei wrinkled his nose. "No, he went off and killed himself." At the younger boy's indignant gaze, the Warrior of Earth snorted. "Of course he's still alive. It doesn't mean he's still nearby. There's no reason for him to stay _here _of all places."

"You'd think that, wouldn't you?"

As Kado, Nao, and Tapirmon whirled around, Taura simply tensed. The look on the other's faces was enough to confirm her suspicions. Meeting Jomei's eyes, the girl turned in a more controlled manner. "Jaymon," she smirked, spotting him immediately on the rooftop of a more-or-less intact building.

"Twerps," the Ultimate retorted, wings twitching. To Taura's dismay, it seemed his wounds from the day before had already healed. "What are you doing out here? When hatchlings try to fly too soon, they usually end up as a meal, you know."

With his arms crossed, Jomei strode across the square. "Are you finished? We didn't come here to listen to you yap."

A sharp flex of his wings lifted the enormous bird into the air, almost knocking the humans off their feet. As they scrambled to their feet, Jaymon swooped low, punching a hole in a building with his claws close enough that the rubble rained down around Jomei. He, like Taura and Nao, reached for his D-Tector before the enemy could make another pass.

"Kado!" Taura shouted, taking her eyes off the sky for a moment. "Go with Tapirmon and find somewhere to hide. Don't let Jaymon target you." Despite his lingering glance towards the fresh damage, the boy nodded.

The two fled, only to be thrown off their feet by a tremor. "You think I'd let you escape that easily?" Jaymon cackled as the tremor spread. Taura and Jomei managed to stay on their feet, thanks to their kendo training, but Nao wasn't so lucky. All three clutched their digivices so they wouldn't lose them. "Cedar Snare!"

More roots erupted around Kado and Tapirmon than anywhere else, making it impossible for them to escape, but Taura was too occupied leaping away from her own would-be restraints to pay much attention. When at length Jaymon ceased the attack, Taura straightened and glanced around. Like herself, Jomei had managed to evade the roots, and Nao was only caught by several around one wrist, which he proceeded to hack at with the help of a sharp-edged rock. For Kado and Tapirmon, however, there was no easy way out. Both were largely obscured, held fast by dozens of separate snares.

"Jomei, you ready?" she called, anxious to retaliate. He nodded and they raised their D-Tectors. "Execute: Spirit Evolution!"

"Grumblemon!"

"Ranamon!"

"Fertile Fist!" Grumblemon combined the soil with several large rocks, hurling the attack with furious speed. Caught off guard, and low to the ground as he was, Jaymon had no time to react, so he took the full force of the attack, crashing through the wall of a building. Both warriors charged after him. "Sandstorm."

"Aqualine Metamorphosis!"

Ranamon's attack came instants after Grumblemon sprang clear, pummeling the exact same spot: the gap in Jaymon's armor on the back of his neck. At the Ultimate's pained squawk, the female Warrior retreated, noting as she avoided a flailing wing that Nao was free from the Cedar Snare and preparing to evolve.

"Ranamon!" Grumblemon cried, drawing her attention back to the battle. "Sandstorm!" As Grumblemon's attack crossed in front of her, Ranamon realized that Jaymon had been about to ram her. The two attacks cancelled each other out, sending the pair sliding in opposite directions.

"I owe you one, Grumblemon!" Ranamon called, charging towards the fallen bird.

Grunting, the Warrior of Earth scrambled to his feet. "Just don't get distracted again, okay?"

Ranamon smirked. "No problem. Vapor Trident!" Pouncing, she aimed the weapon at the exposed undersides of Jaymon's wings, but the large digimon was faster than she expected, taking flight in time to dodge.

"Nice try, sucker!" the Ultimate cackled, climbing steeply. He wheeled, letting out his grating Screech, which caused the rest of the house to collapse on the Warriors of Earth and Water. "Now for the other wimps!" As Jaymon swept low, heading for Kado and Tapirmon, Ranamon struggled to dislodge the section of wall pinning her leg.

"Alchemy Blade!"

Instants before Jaymon reached the trapped pair, Mercurymon's sword connected, turning him aside long enough for the Warrior to position himself in front of his friends. Struggling to right himself, the bird turned an irate glare on Mercurymon.

"Tree Cannon!"

Mercurymon instinctively raised a shield to absorb the projectiles, realizing belatedly that Jaymon had followed up with a charge. "Irony Shield!" In his haste, the Warrior didn't bother to release his reflection from a remote location; instead he reflected them directly from his shield so the attack exploded on Jaymon's sternum when he was only a few feet away.

A massive cloud of smoke obscured Ranamon's vision and, frantic, she resorted to a new tactic to deal with the rubble. "Dousing Torrent!" Once free, the Warrior charged toward the battle, vaguely noting Grumblemon behind her. At length the cloud dissipated, though she realized with some degree of fear that it was from Jaymon taking off. "Nao! Kado!"

She first found Kado and Tapirmon, covered in scrapes and dirt but otherwise unharmed, sitting among the remains of the Cedar Snare. As the smoke thinned more, Ranamon spotted a dented Mercurymon nearby, grasping his Alchemy Blade with one hand and scanning the skies. "Get to safety," he murmured, not moving. "As long as this smoke is around, he won't be able to see you."

"What was _that_, Naoko?" Grumblemon demanded, coming to a stop beside Taura. "Do you _want _to give Jaymon another Spirit?"

Mercurymon whirled. "Do _you _think Kado and Tapirmon are acceptable sacrifices?" he spat, startling the other evolved Warriors.

Ranamon recovered first, forming a Vapor Trident without fully intending to. "That's not what he meant! He was just telling you to be careful! Our Spirits are too important to let them get stolen!"

Mouth set in a tight frown, the Warrior of Steel shook his head. "I'll protect my friends no matter what you say is more important. Come on, Kado, Tapirmon."

A shadow was their only warning before Jaymon closed his talons around Grumblemon and shot back into the air.

"Jomei!" Ranamon gasped.

"Let me go, you oversized parakeet!" Grumblemon snapped, thrashing against the talons.

Laughing, Jaymon flicked his legs to shut the Warrior up. "Look down, pipsqueak. I don't think you want me to let go." Already they were nearly a hundred feet off the ground, circling over the town. "But if you insist…"

"NO!" Ranamon ran forward as Grumblemon plummeted, even though she knew it was pointless. Helpless to do anything but pray, the Warrior of Earth plunged toward a building that had more rock spires sticking out of it than any other. They protruded from the windows and doors, splitting the roof from the inside. In fact, the only damage seemed to be from the spires sprouting from outward.

From the loss of focus, or from the vertigo, or just from sheer terror, fractal code wrapped around Grumblemon and he devolved. Then he was Jomei, wild-eyed and flailing, seconds away from impact.

With a flash, everything disappeared for just an instant.

Ranamon blinked rapidly, searching desperately for any sign of hope. Without warning, the house exploded. All that remained were the spires of rock, wrapping indulgently around an egg of fractal code. The stone itself seemed to gleam every so often, and the blue light of fractal code skittered across the surface. With each undulation, a gust of wind swept across the town, carrying with it a faint howling.

All at once, the egg swelled to envelop the surrounding rock, and from within Jomei unleashed a feral roar. Ranamon recoiled slightly, feeling an instinctive fear for something so wild and uncontrollable.

_A new force shall awaken…to divide and destroy, as well as to conquer and save…_

"_Execute!_ _Beast Spirit Evolution!_"

The fractal code exploded, flinging luminescent ribbons in all directions, and the Warriors cowered further. What was left in Jomei's place was a creature made entirely of sandstone, yellow eyes burning as they took in the scene around him. He was a quadruped, distinctly canine in his impression. Dull silver armor encased the front of his forelegs and the tops of his four long claws on each paw, as well as the top of his head and muzzle. The same metal was melded to his spine, a series of blades sticking straight up. In place of ears and a tail, the digimon had stones hovering in place by an unknown force, which twitched slightly with controlled excitement.

Letting out a soft growl, the digimon craned his head to follow Jaymon's movements. Finally, in a low, throaty voice, he announced the completion of his evolution. "Latranamon."

**Next time: "Awakening" – Jomei has his Beast Spirit, but will he be able to control it?**

**A/N: Yes, Latranamon is my own creation. Like the villains (including the Flock), all the Beast Spirits will be original. (Because it's too much fun to create new ones, and it would have been really difficult to write any battles involving Sakkakumon.)  
**


	10. Awakening

**Last time…After suffering a painful defeat to Jaymon and losing the Spirit of Wood in the process, the children set off in search of a Beast Spirit, but were intercepted by Jaymon once more. Just when all hope seemed lost, they found the Beast Spirit of Earth: Latranamon.**

**Chapter 10: Awakening**

_Every man has a wild beast within him.  
-Frederick the Great_

The rocks comprising Latranamon's tail grated together as it swept first one way then the other, but as of yet no one had made any move to attack. They were waiting, Mercurymon supposed, wondering whether the Beast Spirit would be strong enough to defeat Jaymon. Perhaps they were worried, too – Mercurymon certainly was, for Latranamon had yet to say anything since announcing his evolution. He hadn't reassured Taura, or taunted Jaymon, or told Kado to stop gaping and find somewhere to hide.

_A new force shall awaken…to divide and destroy as well as to conquer and save_.

Mercurymon couldn't get the prophecy out of his head. Was Latranamon going to save them, and the digimon of Forest Vale? Or would this new Spirit prove their undoing?

"Granite Claw!"

Jaymon had drifted too low in the tense silence, and Latranamon took the opportunity to lunge, claws extending until they were nearly two feet long. Jaymon squawked and flapped his wings, lifting out of the way just in time. The Beast Spirit crashed into a building across the street.

"Jomei!" Ranamon cried, dashing forward, but Latranamon paid her no mind, and Mercurymon had to pull her backward so the canine digimon wouldn't trample her as he charged after his opponent.

"Woah, there, fido," Jaymon cackled. "Someone's gonna get hurt if you don't watch it. And it ain't gonna be me."

"Howling Concussion!" Leaping over a half crumbled wall, Latranamon landed with enough force to send up a shockwave that threw chunks of stone fifty feet into the air. Mercurymon and Ranamon were thrown to the ground, pummeled with pebbles and fist-sized stones; Kado and Tapirmon would have been obliterated, had they not managed to duck into an intact house just as the attack reached them. The shockwave was even strong enough to knock Jaymon off balance. Latranamon's jaws latched onto his leg, dragging him to the ground, where the two massive digimon landed with a crash.

"Dousing Torrent!" Jaymon cried, sending Latranamon skidding back. As the canine scrambled to right himself, his hind claws tore into Mercurymon, ripping off his right buckler and eliciting a pained cry.

"Nao!" Kado cried, reappearing in the doorway with Tapirmon.

"Howling Concussion!" Latranamon growled.

"Howling Concussion!" Jaymon mimicked.

The two shockwaves collided, demolishing what remained of the block, but the two digimon wasted no time in charging toward each other, one growling, the other screeching.

"Get up!" Ranamon hissed, yanking on Mercurymon's arm. He staggered to his feet, stumbled as she shoved him away from the battle, then regained his balance and started running. The two darted into the building where Kado and Tapirmon had taken shelter. Mercurymon scooped up the boy, while Ranamon seized the digimon's hoof and dragged him along behind her.

"Wait!" Kado cried, writhing in Mercurymon's arms. "Where are we going?"

Ranamon scowled and leaped over the remains of a sculpture. "As far away as possible!"

"What's wrong with him?" Mercurymon asked, glancing over his shoulder to where the battle raged on. A plume of smoke and dust billowed up from a now demolished building. "It's like he doesn't even know we're here!"

"It's the Beast Spirit," Tapirmon gasped. "Bokomon said they were harder to control."

"_What_?" Ranamon shrieked, glaring at the Rookie. "And you didn't think to tell us sooner?"

"I thought he meant it would take a few tries until you figured out the most effective use of the power! I didn't think it would actually…"

"A new power…" Mercurymon muttered.

Ranamon frowned at him. "What?"

"The prophecy. You said it made the Beast Spirits sound like they had a will of their own. What if you were right?"

Their running footsteps faltered for a moment as another crash shook the city. Fear settled in their guts as they pressed on. Fear for their own safety…and fear for Jomei.

-.-.-.-

Pain lanced up his spine as Latranamon's fangs sank into his back. The armor there had long since fallen away, complement of a Granite Claw that had simply been too fast to avoid. Jaymon's wings were weak, on the verge of giving out, and he could no longer hover out of range of the Beast Spirit's attacks. But neither was he ready to surrender.

"Cedar Snare!"

Snarling, Latranamon snapped at the roots that entwined his legs, and within seconds he was free, barreling into Jaymon's chest, sending him crashing into a buiding. Yet more rubble fell to the ground.

"Tree Cannon! Steel Alloy! Sandstorm!"

The dual projectiles and luminous shards bounced harmlessly off the stony armor, but the final attack connected, sending the canine flying, landing with a yelp, tumbling into a pile of rubble.

"Hah!" Jaymon cried triumphantly. "Not so tough now, are ya?"

"Howling Concussion!"

Now it was Jaymon's turn to be sent flying, landing in a heap on a rooftop beyond where their battle had taken them so far. Before he could rise, the Legendary Warrior was atop him, growling in his face. Warm saliva dripped onto his beak.

"Granite Claw," Latranamon growled, and his claws extended, slowly this time, until their diamond-hard edges pressed against his throat. A strangled cry made it out, but Jaymon knew better than to struggle.

"Go ahead and kill me," Jaymon taunted. "Just do me a favor and kill your friends, next." His only answer was a snarl as Latranamon drew back his claws to finish him off. In that moment, Jaymon wrapped his wings around the canine and steeled himself for one final attack.

"Acorn Hoarder!"

The acorn bombs materialized inside his wings, and when they detonated, both digimon cried out in agony. Latranamon was thrown back, fractal code wrapping around him, but Jaymon turned and fled, in too much pain to think about taking they child's spirits. In fact, it was all he could do to hobble between the buildings and out of the city, where he collapsed in the forest and prayed the other humans didn't follow him.

-.-.-.-

"I think he's waking up."

Groaning, Jomei flung a hand up over his face to ward off the offensive daylight. Beside him, someone shifted and laid a hand on his arm. He opened his eyes and found Taura's gaze searching his, concern etched on her grimy face.

"How is he?" That was Naoko, and even _he _sounded worried. What had happened to him?

Somehow, Jomei managed to sit up, though Taura fought him. "I'm fine," he grunted. "What happened?" The last thing he could remember was Jaymon grabbing him, carrying him higher, higher, then dropping him; the mangled building rushing up to meet him, then…

"You got your Beast Spirit," Taura murmured. She sounded…scared?

"I don't remember anything…Jaymon – did I beat him?"

"Kinda," Taura said evasively, looking at the others for a long moment before she continued. "You got closer than we did last time, anyway."

There was more; he could hear it in her voice. "But…something else happened."

"It wasn't your fault," Tapirmon assured him, hovering a few feet away, between Kado and Naoko. "The Beast Spirit's power is on an entirely different level from the Human Spirits."

"Tapirmon!" Taura hissed.

Jomei paled, glancing from Taura to Kado to Naoko, looking for injuries. "What did I do? Oh, no – your spirits!"

"No!" Taura shook her head. "Nothing like that! We're all fine! You just…knocked down a few empty old buildings is all." Her voice became meek and she dropped her eyes. "The city's abandoned anyway. Who's going to notice?"

But Jomei had already climbed to his feet and was surveying the wreckage. A _few_ buildings? Whole neighborhoods were leveled! In some areas, nothing larger than a dime remained, and the whole area swam with dust.

His legs felt weak, whether from shock or exhaustion he couldn't say, and he fell to his knees, gaping at the destruction. He had done this? How much power did his Beast Spirit have? And how could he not remember any of it?

"Jomei?" Taura asked softly, crouching beside him. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," he choked out, though in all honesty, he felt completely rotten.

She sighed, obviously not fooled. "If you want to talk…" she started, but Jomei shook his head. "Okay. But you do need to rest. Let's head back to Forest Vale and –"

"No."

"Huh?"

Jomei turned away from her and shook his head. "You can go back if you want, but I'm not coming. I'm not bringing this..._thing_ anywhere near innocent digimon. It's pure luck that New Forest Terminal was abandoned! But digimon live in Forest Vale – what if they get hurt?"

Falling silent, the boy realized he was shaking and folded his arms across his chest. Taura said nothing for a second, but then she shook her head.

"They won't."

"How do you know that?" he snapped, turning to glare at her. She didn't flinch.

"Because I know you would never hurt them, Beast Spirit or no. You're stronger than that. I mean, you know what to expect now; you can fight it off next time! You remember how it was with the Human Spirits – it was like Ranamon was helping me when I first evolved, but the second time, I was doing it alone. The second time won't be nearly as bad! I promise!"

"These aren't Human Spirits we're dealing with, Taura. That thing didn't 'help' me. It completely took over! I…no. I'm not going to risk it."

"I doubt we'd be able to get back anyway," Kado piped up, "unless a Trailmon comes by. Otherwise, it's an awfully long walk."

"Travel of any kind is apt to be a challenge at the moment," Tapirmon agreed. "I propose we find accommodations here for tonight and utilize the time to plan our next move."

"Accommodations?" Taura scoffed. "Please. Nothing around here deserved that big a word. Let's just hope whatever we find isn't going to come crashing down on top of us while we sleep."

There were no arguments, so the weary group set off across the city until they reached a section that had been far enough away from the day's battle to be relatively intact. When they found a suitable building, they gathered inside, everyone watching Jomei warily, until finally Taura sent Naoko, Kado, and Tapirmon to try to find some food.

"You have to try again eventually, you know," Taura said once they were alone.

"I know that," Jomei replied, voice tight and annoyed. "I'm just going to try not to put anyone in danger next time."

Taura sighed. "You sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"What is there to talk about?"

They fell silent, saying nothing until the others returned, apparently successful in their search. The food was bland, despite its bright color, but filling, and before long the children set about discussing their plans for the next encounter. Not that there was much to discuss.

"We should have enough time to recover, but Jaymon's wounds seemed to heal pretty quick last time," Taura mused. "He'll probably be back by tomorrow, or the day after that at the latest."

"We should be fine if Jomei can control his Beast Spirit," Kado pointed out.

"What do you mean 'if'?" Jomei snapped. "I'd like to see you try and control your Beast Spirit, since you seem to think it's so easy!"

"I didn't mean –"

Jomei snorted. "Yeah, sure. Well sorry for being such a screw-up, but I didn't exactly _plan_ on losing control!"

"Young man!" Tapirmon reprimanded. "I understand that it has been a stressful day, but that outburst was quite unwarranted, especially coming from a Legendary Warrior."

"No kidding," Naoko muttered, then cringed as Jomei's glare turned to him. "All Kado meant was you're the best chance we have of beating Jaymon."

"Whatever," Jomei grumbled, retreating to the far side of the room. "Just wake me up when my watch comes."

-.-.-.-

"They beat you _again_?"

"They didn't beat me!" Jaymon insisted. He was tired and sore, and it had taken him most of the day to reach the Nest, injured as he was. The last thing he wanted was for his two comrades to mock him again. "Don't you remember? I got one of their Spirits!"

Raptormon was perched on a rocky outcropping overhead, black eyes gleaming in his white helmet, which covered the top mandible of his beak as well as his entire head. Like Jaymon, he had bird wings in place of arms, and they were jet black with yellow tips. A gray breastplate covered his white chest, and bronze arrowheads dangled from the bottom, reaching almost to his waist. And indeed, he had a waist, and humanoid legs, which were clad in black leather pants. Bronze armor covered his knees and shins, and formed artificial talons that jutted out from his black boots.

"And did you get another spirit this time?" Raptormon teased, cocking his head to the side.

"Well…no."

"Ha! You're so useless, Jaymon! Why do we even keep you around?"

Fuming, Jaymon spread his wings. "Shut up! Acorn –"

"That's enough!"

"Egalamon!" Jaymon cried, recoiling from her angry glower. The acorns that had begun to materialize dropped to the ground, where they dissolved without exploding.

Raptormon stretched his wings nonchalantly. "Hey there, sis. Look who got trounced again."

Rolling her eyes, Egalamon looked over Jaymon's wounds and sighed. A fringe of golden feathers framed her head, looking almost like hair, but the rest of her body was a deep russet. Strips of green cloth criss-crossed her chest and wings. "What am I going to do with you? Herbal Remedy!"

The cloth glowed with a green light that streamed toward Jaymon and surrounded him, healing his wounds. He stretched his wings as the pain eased.

"I'm sorry, Egalamon," he murmured when she had finished. "I didn't expect the Beast Spirit to be so strong. I'll do better next time! I swear!"

"Maybe I should go," Raptormon suggested, hopping off his perch and fluttering to the ground. "Y'know. Make sure they don't get any more Beast Spirits."

"No!" Jaymon cried. "Just give me one more chance!"

"You already had another chance!" Raptormon snapped. "We can't afford to make any mistakes with these humans."

Jaymon cocked his head. "You aren't scared of that old prophecy, are you?"

"Of course not! I'm just saying, the last time humans were in our world, they turned out to be more powerful than any digimon. We have to stop these kids before they get that kind of power."

"Those are just stories! No human is that powerful!"

"Well then I guess you're just pathetically weak!"

"Hey! C'mon, sis!" Jaymon whined. "Make him stop!"

Turning to leave, Egalamon shook her head. "Stop bickering, you two. I swear, you two are a couple of Rookies. Jaymon! You have one more chance. Don't lose again."

-.-.-.-

"Jomei!"

When Jomei opened his eyes, it was dark out, so naturally he figured Taura was waking him for his watch. Then he heard her shushing Kado, who was groaning as she shook him, and Jomei knew something was wrong.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

The three children, now fully awake, stiffened at Jaymon's taunting, exchanging anxious glances in the dark room.

"How is he back already?" Taura asked in a terrified whisper as she scrambled to where Naoko was still asleep; Jomei turned to Tapirmon. "This isn't fair!"

"You expect the Flock to fight fair?" Jomei snorted, hastily covering Tapirmon's mouth as the warthog digimon jolted out of a dream, wide-eyed and confused.

Behind him, Naoko groaned. "What's going on?"

"Jaymon's back," Kado whispered.

"_What_?" Tapirmon squeaked, shaking off Jomei's hand. "_Now_?"

"What do we do?" Naoko asked.

Taura stood, and the light from the screen of her D-Tector illuminated her face, which was lined with exhaustion and fear, and still streaked with sweat and dust. Her ponytail, too, was disheveled, but she didn't seem to notice the loose strands that fell into her eyes. "Isn't it obvious? We have to fight him."

Jomei stood as well, ignoring the growing knot of unease as he reached for his own D-Tector. He glanced at Kado and Tapirmon, remembering how Jaymon had nearly killed them earlier that day. How _he _had probably almost done the same while the Beast Spirit was in control. Without the Spirit of Wood, Kado would be too vulnerable. He turned to Taura. "Let's wait until we're a few blocks away before we evolve. We don't want Jaymon to know where we were sleeping."

They nodded and snuck out the door, glancing around for any sign of Jaymon before dashing down the street. As they left, Jomei could hear Tapirmon urging Kado to come back inside before the bird saw him. Then they passed out of earshot, and Jomei forced himself to stop worrying about the little brat. He would be safe – safer than the three older kids, at any rate.

Once they were far enough away, they stopped, nodded at each other, and raised their digivices.

"Execute: Spirit Evolution!"

"Ranamon!"

"Mercurymon!"

"Grumblemon!"

-.-.-.-

The three stood in silence for a moment, then Ranamon glared at Grumblemon. "Why didn't you use your Beast Spirit?"

He said nothing, his eyes trained on the sky until Jaymon swooped over, at which point the Warrior of Earth created a hammer from the remains of a nearby wall and leaped into the air.

"Bureiku!" he roared, and the hammer began to glow. Jaymon swerved, and Grumblemon managed only a glancing blow.

"Nice aim, dirt face!" the bird cackled, but his mirth soon faltered. "Huh?" Glancing down, he saw that the attack had not been as harmless as he had thought: one of his talons had been turned to stone. "What did you do?"

Grumblemon smirked and slung his hammer over his shoulder. "Next time, it won't just be just a talon. Fertile Fist!" The attack flew over Jaymon's head as he tucked his wings against his sides and dropped twenty feet…

"Aqualine Metamorphosis!"

…and easily within range of Ranamon's attack. Jaymon was sent tumbling through the air, but caught himself just short of Mercurymon's Alchemy Blade and rose into the air, well away from the three Warriors.

"Steel Alloy!" Jaymon shrieked, sending a hailstorm of metal shards down at them. Mercurymon darted in front of Ranamon and began absorbing the attack into both shields while Grumblemon charged forward.

"Sandstorm!"

Grumblemon's attack deflected the shards heading his way. As he directed the twister toward Jaymon, the bird ceased his attack, lashing out with his talons as Grumblemon emerged with a kick of his own. Unfortunately, Jaymon was faster and stronger, and Grumblemon landed hard, taking out a wall before he skidded to a stop.

"Irony Shield!"

Having been in the middle of laughing at Grumblemon's fall, Jaymon didn't have time to avoid the reflected shards, and wound up with a myriad of scratches. Unfortunately, they did little more than irritate him.

"Acorn Hoarder!"

The Warriors scattered, diving behind walls that crumbled as the acorns exploded. Grumblemon scowled and began to scrap together a plan. When the barrage subsided, Mercurymon was the first to venture a counterattack:

"Steel Alloy!"

Ranamon prepared an attack of her own, but Grumblemon grabbed her elbow.

"See if you can get him to fly lower," he muttered, then dashed off down a side street. Frowning, Ranamon stared after him for only a moment before Mercurymon's cry of alarm drew her attention back to the battle.

"Ranamon! Look out!"

"Tree Cannon!"

She only had time to spin around before the projectiles slammed into her, knocking the breath from her lungs and tossing her backward. Her head cracked against the ground, but she managed to flip over as her slide continued, so she wound up in a crouch, rather than flat on her back. Lips twitching into a frown, she summoned a Vapor Trident and rejoined the battle.

Jaymon had managed to pin Mercurymon, knocking aside his Alchemy Blade and cracking the mirror that served as his face. Leaping as high as she could manage, Ranamon descended on the Ultimate, plunging her spear into his neck. He screamed and shook his neck, tossing her aside as he rose above the rooftops, but she wasn't finished yet.

"Aqualine Metamorphosis!" she cried, letting the attack carry her well over Jaymon's head. He looked up as she reformed and twisted as though about to attack, but she merely smirked. "Aqualine Metamorphosis!" The distance was too short for her to bother fully transforming, but her heel connected with his beak faster and more forcefully than if she had just let gravity carry her.

And her momentum hadn't run out; the two continued to fall. Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, Ranamon kicked off, back-flipping away from the bird and landing lightly beside Mercurymon.

"Bureiku!"

As Jaymon crashed to the ground, Grumblemon leaped from a nearby rooftop, hammer held high and aimed for Jaymon's heart. There was no time for him to move, and Ranamon cheered, certain they had won. But her celebration was premature, for just as the hammer was about to connect, Jaymon flared his wings.

"Howling Concussion!"

Now it was Grumblemon who had no time to react, and he took the brunt of the shockwave. He was already limp as he hit the ground, rolling and bouncing over bits of rubble. After thirty feet, fractal code wrapped around him and he devolved, but continued to slide until he slammed into a wall and lay still.

"_Jomei!_" Ranamon shrieked, sprinting to where he lay.

"Tree Cannon!"

"Ranamon!" Mercurymon tackled her out of the way of the attack, but she ignored him, scrambling to her feet again, wide eyes fixed on Jomei. Jaymon's talons snatched her from behind as she ran, and suddenly she was airborne, crashing headfirst into a wall. When her vision cleared, she had devolved, leaving Mercurymon standing bravely (but in all reality, futilely) against Jaymon.

"Steel Alloy!"

Jaymon dodged easily, but the attack at least gave Taura the opportunity to run to Jomei's side. As she knelt beside him, he stirred, groaning, and Taura let out the breath she had been holding. He sat up, clutching his head, and she searched his face, wordlessly asking in anything was seriously wrong. He shook his head and grimaced.

"Howling Concussion!" Jaymon cried again, close enough to make their hearts skip a beat. Both tried to force the other to get behind them, but in the end, it was Mercurymon who planted himself in the path of the blast. His mirrors rang as the shockwave hit, then shattered with a tremendous crash.

He remained upright for a moment longer – just long enough to turn as if staring at Jomei and laugh dryly. "This is the part where you tell me we can't afford to lose another spirit, remember?" A pallor swept over Jomei's face. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Then Mercurymon was sent tumbling back, over the remains of the wall Jomei had hit. After several long seconds, the Warrior of Steel came to a stop, and he faded to a silhouette and his spirit appeared, pulsing in time with Taura's heartbeat.

When Jomei stood, D-Tector in hand, she balked and grabbed his wrist.

"You can't seriously be thinking of fighting him," she hissed. "Not in your condition!"

He stared at her, eyes hard and mouth tight with determination. "I have to, Taura. You know I do." She did know, but that didn't make it any easier for her to let go of his wrist and watch the egg of fractal code swallow him.

"Execute: Beast Spirit Evolution!"

-.-.-.-

For a moment – one terrifying moment that seemed to drag on forever – Jomei felt the will of the Beast rising to consume him. Visions of destruction and feral, uncontainable power swept through his head, but he thought of Taura, who was so close, who would have no hope of escape if he lost control.

And yes, he even thought of his cousin, who had risked his own life to save Jomei's. Pure adrenaline, no doubt, but reason enough for the old desire that rose. A desire to help him, to protect him, that hadn't surfaced since the thunderstorm four years ago.

Jomei steeled himself against the Beast's uprising, held onto his control with all the strength he could muster.

And then the transformation was complete, the Beast retreating to the depths of his consciousness as the Warrior opened his eyes to see Taura, hands clasped over her mouth, staring at him as he announced his new form.

"Latranamon."

"Jomei?" Taura asked tentatively, taking a step backward. "Are you…Is that you?"

"Acorn Hoarder!"

Whirling, Latranamon growled at the oncoming attack and summoned a wall of earth. "Latrans Aegis!" he cried, and the stone responded, soaring a hundred feet into the air, hardening to hold off the acorns that began to pelt the other side. Seeing that it would hold, he turned back to Taura. "Get Nao and climb on."

A smile split the girl's face as she hurried to comply. Mercurymon's silhouette had faded by this time, leaving the boy bruised but alive. It took a moment, but Taura and Latranamon managed to get him onto the Beast Spirit's back, and Taura followed suit just as Jaymon appeared beside the stone barrier.

"There you are! Cedar Snare!"

Latranamon easily cleared the roots and sprinted across the city, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, and managing to avoid everything Jaymon threw at him. Before long, he caught sight of the building where they had left Kado and Tapirmon. As soon as he slid to a stop, Taura dropped to the ground, turning to catch Nao as the others ran outside.

"Is it over?" Kado asked breathlessly.

"It would seem not!" Tapirmon replied in a panicked yelp, pointing to Jaymon, who was circling overhead.

"Acorn Hoarder!"

"Latrans Aegis!" Latranamon roared, and this time the earth formed a dome over the building and the humans. The acorns exploded, leaving naught but black smudges on the rough brown surface. Only Latranamon and Jaymon remained outside the dome.

The avian screeched in frustration and dove at the dome. "Tree Cannon! Steel Alloy! Dousing Torrent! Sandstorm!"

"Attack it all you want," Latranamon interrupted coolly. "The Aegis is the shield of the gods. Nothing you can do will dent it. It's just you and me now."

"Fine then. Howling Concussion!"

Latranamon braced himself against the shockwave, ignoring the rocks that pummeled his head and back. When it passed, he stared up at Jaymon, judging the distance. A Howling Concussion might reach, but in all likelihood, the Ultimate would simply fly out of range before it did any damage. He had to get him closer to the ground.

"Acorn Hoarder!" Jaymon cried, but the distance worked against him as much as it worked against Latranamon, and the Warrior backed up calmly, the acorns exploding long seconds after he cleared the area. "Steel Alloy! Dousing Torrent!"

Avoiding the metal shards effortlessly, Latranamon pivoted as the disc of water approached. With a flick of his tail, he cut through it, and the water fell to the ground as harmlessly as a spring shower. "I can keep this up all day, you know."

"Oh really? Dodge this! Cedar Snare! Tree Cannon! Dousing Torrent! Steel Alloy! Acorn Hoarder! Fertile Fist!"

Darting behind a building, Latranamon ran, managing to avoid most of the attacks, though he felt something explode on his hind leg. He didn't run for long, though. After taking a few corners, he whirled and leaped onto a building, springing off and using the incoming Fertile Fist as a stepping stone, launching himself upward.

"Granite Claw!"

Jaymon flailed, trying to avoid it, but his onslaught of attacks had taken more out of him than he had expected, and Latranamon's claws pierced his left wing. They landed in a heap, Jaymon lashing out with his talons and leaving a deep gash in Latranamon's side. The Warrior growled and snapped at the bird's wing. With a screech and a growl, they separated.

"Howling Concussion!" Latranamon and Jaymon cried simultaneously. The two shockwaves collided, kicking up a cloud of dust, the ground cracked under their feet, and both attacks fizzled out. But Latranamon had charged forward after releasing his attack, and burst from the dust cloud.

"Granite Claw!" Latrananmon cried. He landed lightly behind Jaymon as the Ultimate gave one final cry before fading to a silhouette. "Slide Evolution: Grumblemon! Fractal code…Digitize!" Not only the code, but also the Human Spirit of Wood entered Grumblemon's D-Tector, and while Jaymon's digiegg floated away, the Warrior turned back toward his dome, grinning. "That wasn't so bad."

-.-.-.-

The only light inside Latranamon's dome was the glow from her D-Tector. In it, Taura could see that Nao was breathing (but then, she could also hear that in the silence they were all reluctant to break), but couldn't say whether he had sustained any serious injuries. Kado crouched nearby, staring at Taura, who shrugged and leaned back against a wall. At least, she thought it was a wall.

"Nothing," Tapirmon said, floating towards them out of the darkness. "This thing's as solid as a Tankmon."

Several minutes had passed since the sounds of battle had ceased, but no one knew what that meant. If Latranamon had won, surely he would have come back to release them by now. And if he had lost – Taura shuddered at the thought, but forced herself to continue – if he had lost, wouldn't Jaymon have come back to try to reach the other humans?

"So we can't get out on our own?" Kado asked weakly. Tapirmon didn't answer, but that in itself told Taura all she needed to know.

_I wonder whether we'll run out of air before we starve to death._

She didn't have to wait to find out. With a dampened _thud_, a small section of the dome crumbled, flooding the area with the pink glow of sunrise. Taura blinked against the sudden light, but she recognized the flash of fractal code and was already on her feet by the time she could make out Jomei's weary frame.

"You're alright!" she cried, tackling him with a hug.

He winced but managed to smile. "What, you didn't think I could do it?"

She pulled away and stuck her tongue out. "No. As a matter of fact, I thought you were going to get yourself killed."

"Did you get my Spirit back?" Kado asked eagerly.

"Yeah. I'm not entirely sure how to get it _out_, though…" As Jomei held up his D-Tector, it began to glow of its own accord, as did Kado's. They flashed brightly, and Kado started bouncing up and down in glee. Suddenly he flung his arms around Jomei's waist.

"Thank you!"

"H-hey!" Jomei cried, a red tint lighting his cheeks. "What are you doing? Let go of me!" He shoved the younger boy away, but Kado just grinned wider. "What are you smiling at?"

A groan from behind them stopped Kado's reply and he spun around. "Nao!"

As Kado and Tapirmon rushed to help Nao sit up, Taura sidled up to Jomei, nudging his side. "Gee, you're just everyone's hero today," she teased, but Jomei wasn't smiling. "You alright?"

"Why?"

"Huh?" Taura frowned and followed Jomei's gaze to his cousin. "Nao? What about him?"

"Why'd he save us like that? After everything he's…" Hesitating, Jomei shook his head. "I never would have expected _him _to do that. It doesn't make sense."

Taura nodded. "I know what you mean, but…Jomei, what if we were wrong?"

"For four years? Taura, you know as well as I do that –"

"You beat Jaymon?" Nao asked, joining them while stretching stiffly.

Jomei scowled. "Yes, I did," he snapped. "Is that so hard to believe?" Taura saw him flinch as soon as the words were out, but Nao had already dropped his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Naoko," Jomei began apologetically.

"Don't bother," the Warrior of Steel muttered. "We should get going."

_Going where? _Taura wondered, but remained silent, glancing only once at Jomei before shuffling out into the city.

-.-.-.-

"What?"

"It's true!" the Weedmon insisted, though he looked wary of making Egalamon and Raptormon angry. And with good reason, given the news he had to relay. "Jaymon was there one minute, then all of a sudden, all that's left is a digiegg!"

Raptormon whirled and kicked the boulder he had been perched on just moments earlier. "That idiot! I _told _him not to make a mistake!" He kicked the boulder again, and it split down the middle. "Who did this?"

"The Warrior of Earth. Latranamon."

"Latranamon…" Raptormon hissed. "I'm going to make him pay."

"Raptormon, wait," Egalamon ordered, stern voice halting Raptormon before he could take flight.

"Why should I?" he argued. "Those humans killed our brother!"

"You think I don't know that?" Egalamon shook her head, ignoring the aching in her chest. "We'll make them pay. But we're going to do it right."

Raptormon frowned. "You have a plan?"

"Of course. Weedmon!"

"Ma'am?"

"Go tell the Airdramon to keep the humans busy. We'll need a few days to get everything ready."

"Yes, ma'am."

Egalamon ruffled her feathers as she turned to stalk away. "Inoxmon was right about humans. I'm going to make them wish they had never invaded our world."

**Next time: "Arkenmon's Fury" – The kids find the next Beast Spirit, but will it prove too powerful to control?**

**A/N: **_**Bureiku**_** (usually translated as Break or Petrify in Final Fantasy games) is a spell that turns the target into stone. (Too bad Kado wasn't there to geek out. lol) As for Latranamon (and his attack Latrans Aegis), the inspiration was **_**Canis latrans**_**, the scientific name for coyotes. "Canis latrans" literally means "barking dog," so I guess you could say "Latranamon" means, roughly, "barking digimon." lol  
**

**As far as the Flock goes, their names come from the birds that inspired their design. Jaymon comes from the lanceolated jay, Egalamon from the golden eagle, and Raptormon from...Well, raptor is the general term for birds of prey including the brown falcon off of which he was based. (Falcomon was already taken, and the Latin name, _Falco _**_**berigora,**_ **didn't make for a good digimon name.) The Wikipedia articles for the golden eagle and brown falcon have the reference shots I used for Egalamon and Raptormon, respectively; if you want to get an idea for Jaymon's design, Google "lanceolated jay lithograph."**


	11. Arkenmon's Fury

**Last time: Jomei Beast Spirit evolved to Latranamon to fight Jaymon, but the Warrior was unable to control himself and the battle ended in a draw. That night, Jaymon returned for a rematch, and things looked bleak until Latranamon rejoined the fight. This time, Jomei managed to control the Spirit, defeating Jaymon and retrieving Kado's spirit.**

**Chapter 11: Arkenmon's Fury**

_Beware of him that is slow to anger; for when it is long in coming, it is the stronger when it comes, and the longer kept.  
-Francis Quarles_

The day thus far had been inexplicably subdued, and though Tapirmon was certain all the children must have been exhausted (especially Jomei, who had used his Beast Spirit twice in the last twenty-four hours), they hadn't stopped once since setting out at dawn. It was now almost sundown, and Tapirmon had spent the day pondering what was going on among his human charges. He would have thought that they would be celebrating the defeat of another enemy, but they seemed almost…he supposed sullen was the appropriate word.

He was fairly certain they didn't have a destination in mind. (If they did, he didn't know when they had agreed on it, for he could remember no such conversation.) At the moment, they were walking north, and perhaps a bit west, and the day had taken them to the edge of a broad plain, the first place Tapirmon had seen on the Continent of Earth that was neither a forest nor a city.

It was there at the tree line that they finally, wordlessly, stopped, staring at the openness before them.

"We should probably stay here for the night," Taura ventured after a minute or two of silence. "If the Flock decides to attack again, it'll be too easy for them to find us out there."

"I concur," Tapirmon said, relieved just to be able to talk. Even if it was, strictly speaking, unnecessary.

"Whatever," Jomei grumbled as he set about starting a fire.

Before anyone could volunteer to get food, Tapirmon spoke up again. "Taura, would you assist me in locating some provisions?"

She frowned, gaze lingering on Jomei. "Me?"

"Certainly. This way." Despite her confusion, Taura followed, and the two gathered fruit for a few minutes before Tapirmon worked up the courage to speak again. "My dear, I must inquire as to what is going on."

"What do you mean?"

"If I may be quite frank, humans are an enigma to me. When I was studying under Bokomon, I could never get a grasp on why they did what they did, but I assumed that was simply because I had never met one. Yet here we are, and I'm still at a loss. If you were digimon, you would be elated that you bested Jaymon."

Taura sighed. "Yeah, well, we _would _be happy, except that there's an awful lot going on."

"I'm quite aware of the situation."

"No, I mean Jomei and Nao…" She sighed again. "It's complicated."

"Then start at the beginning."

Rolling her eyes, the girl eyed the fruit in her hand. "I'm not sure I know where the beginning is. They used to be really close, even though they lived in different cities. I was actually kind of jealous. I mean, Jomei was my best friend, but when Nao was in town, suddenly I was second best."

"_Those _two?" Tapirmon asked, incredulous. Now, granted, he was rather ignorant when it came to human relationships, but from what he had observed, the two boys were as far from friends as possible.

Taura nodded. "Up until they were nine or ten, I think. When their grandma died. Jomei's dad told him he had to try to be nice to Nao."

"Try to be? But you just said they were _already_ friends."

"He was just worried about Nao. Nao's family moved to Shibuya when their grandma got sick, but Nao had spent so much time at the hospital that he hadn't made any friends at school yet…But Jomei took it as an insult."

"So Jomei didn't listen?" Tapirmon guessed.

Frowning, she shook her head. "He avoided Nao for a day or two, but he's not _that _petty."

"And then?"

The frown deepened, creasing her brow, and she shrugged. "You'll have to ask one of them. Things were rough for a while, but I really thought they were going to work through it. Then…I don't know. They just started hating each other."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that. Jomei wouldn't tell me what happened, but he obviously blames Nao. And Nao would rather just pretend neither of us exists."

"What does he have against you?"

At the question, Taura began to fidget, face tinting pink. "Like I said, Jomei's my best friend."

"So you took his side and blamed Nao." The silence that followed was all the answer Tapirmon needed. "I see."

"But now I can't help but wonder if we were wrong."

"Why's that?"

"He saved our lives yesterday, even though that meant he got hurt," Taura whispered. "I always thought he hated me and Jomei, but if he did, why would he risk himself for us? I don't know, maybe he's just feeling guilty for whatever he did in the first place, but still…"

Tapirmon remained silent for a moment, trying to imagine the cousins as best friends and wondering what had happened between them. Perhaps it was none of his business, but if there was one thing he had garnered from Bokomon's lecture on humans, it was that they had to work together to save the Digital World. And the first step towards teamwork was friendship.

"I'll talk to them," Tapirmon assured her. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this."

"Good luck with that," Taura scoffed. "And while you're at it, can you fix the crap between Jomei and Kado, too?"

"Excellent idea, Taura. I think I'll do just that!"

"I was joking."

But it didn't matter. The more Tapirmon thought about it, the more he was sure that it was going to work. That it had to work. He didn't know what challenges awaited this team, but by the time Tapirmon was through with them, they would be up for whatever the Digital World could throw at them.

-.-.-.-

The group set out before dawn, across the plain, though Nao wasn't sure why they had chosen that direction. At the moment, Kado was walking beside Nao, and despite his silence, Nao could feel the younger boy's cheerfulness and found his own spirits lifting. He tried to ignore Jomei's brooding and Taura's occasional whispers and the furtive glances Tapirmon kept sending his way.

"Who do you think is going to get the next Beast Spirit?" Kado finally asked, seemingly oblivious to the tension the rest of the group felt.

"Keep your voice down," Jomei grumbled. "And I have no idea."

"You think it's possible to control a Beast Spirit the first time?" Taura asked in a murmur, pulling out her D-Tector and staring at it as she walked.

Jomei shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe."

"What was it like?" Kado asked. Nao could see Jomei's shoulders tense, but he kept his anger in check, and Nao had to wonder why everything Kado did seemed to annoy the Warrior of Earth. It wasn't as though Jomei hated everyone; he had plenty of friends back home. There was just something special about Kado and Nao that drove Jomei over the edge.

Of course, Nao had a pretty good idea why Jomei hated him.

"I don't remember anything from the first time," Jomei said after some prompting from Taura. "And the second time it was like I was being pushed down, but once I fought back, the other…will, or whatever, disappeared, and it was just like my Human Spirit."

Kado frowned. "It was really that simple?"

"Simple?" Jomei scoffed. "Say that again after you get yours."

Kado frowned. "Hey, Tapirmon, what's my Beast Spirit?" When there was no answer, everyone stopped walking and turned to stare at the little digimon. "Tapirmon?"

"Well, you see…It would seem your Beast Spirits have undergone a more significant reconfiguration than did your Human Spirits."

"What, exactly, are you saying?" Taura asked.

Withdrawing the Book of Knowledge from his cloud-like hindquarters, Tapirmon began flipping pages. "According to the Book, the Beast Spirit of Earth is a digimon named Gigasmon," he said at length, holding out a picture of a two-legged creature with massive forearms, an oversized nose, and spines sticking up from his head, back, and arms.

"So where did Latranamon come from?" Taura asked.

"The same place as your Human Spirits' attacks, I would imagine."

"Too bad we don't know where _they _came from, either," Jomei grumbled.

Nao said nothing, but like Taura he pulled out his D-Tector and stared at it, as though the screen would show the form his Beast Spirit would take. "I wish we knew where to look for the next one."

"Well," Tapirmon said, "we're bound to find another town eventually. We'll ask there."

In the end, they didn't have to wait long. They caught sight of distant roofs between two hills shortly before noon, and after another hour, they arrived. From the crowd that gathered and the awe-filled whispers, it was obvious the residents' expectations for the humans matched those of the digimon of Forest Vale. The crowd parted to reveal a digimon that resembled a brown rabbit with steel gauntlets and red claws.

"Are you the Legendary Warriors?" the rabbit digimon asked. When the children nodded, he smiled. "That's wonderful! On behalf of Grass Town, allow me to welcome you to our home. My name is Prairiemon, and I am the leader of the digimon who live here."

Glancing at his D-Tector, Nao read the information that was displayed: "Beast-type, vaccine. Armored Champion level digimon."

"A digivice!" someone in the crowd gasped.

"That means you have the Spirits!" someone else cried.

"You can save us from the Flock!" a third voice added, and the crowd erupted into cheers.

Prairiemon raised a paw and the noise slowly died down. "As you can tell, your presence is a great blessing to Grass Town. We have so much we would like to know, but I'm sure you must be tired and hungry. You can rest at my house and we can talk while we eat."

"That would be splendid!" Tapirmon beamed, but Prairiemon cocked his head to the side and frowned.

"Who's this?"

"Tapirmon," Taura said. "He's our…uh, guide."

"Is that so?" Prairiemon smiled at Tapirmon. "Then I welcome you, as well. This way!"

With Prairiemon in the lead and the crowd of digimon trailing behind, the humans and Tapirmon made their way through Grass Town, past many houses that came only to Nao's shoulders. Nao began to worry that Prairiemon's house would be equally small. But his worry was in vain, for when they arrived, they found that their destination was a building easily twice as tall as the others. Inside, they found the furniture too small for them, but they didn't complain about sitting on the floor – especially once they were presented with bowls of what looked like ramen.

"So is it true?" Prairiemon asked as soon as they all had their food. "Are you really the ones who will save us from the Flock?"

"Well, we already beat Jaymon," Taura said, glancing at Jomei.

"Then you have the Beast Spirits?"

Nao swallowed, frowning. "You know about the Beast Spirits?"

"I've heard of them, yes. I know that you will need them to beat the other members of the Flock. Jaymon was the weakest of the three."

Jomei groaned. "Great."

"Actually," Taura said before Prairiemon could comment on Jomei's frustration, "we only have one Beast Spirit right now. We were hoping you might know where we can find the others."

"I've heard rumors of two great powers. I cannot say with certainty that they are your Beast Spirits, but it's possible."

"It's more than we've got now," Taura said encouragingly.

Prairiemon nodded. "Very well. The first one is in a city south of here. Some refugees who arrived here many years ago say that their leader discovered a power that turned him into a wild beast. His rage was like an earthquake that leveled half the city and deleted dozens of digimon before the city's strongest fighters sealed him in a stone prison."

Jomei frowned. "That sounds like where we found Latranamon's Spirit."

"Yeah," Taura agreed. "Where's the other one?"

"West of here. There's an old Guardromon settlement that's been abandoned for years. If you believe the tales, the Guardromon discovered a forbidden power. They started fighting for control of it, but when one finally claimed the power for himself, he went on a rampage, killing all of his former rivals. There was an Andromon in the village who finally managed to stop him, but no one has dared venture to the settlement since."

Taura scowled. "That sounds real comforting."

"True," Jomei admitted. "But it sounds like a good lead. I say we take it."

"Easy for you to say," Taura grumbled. "You already have your Beast Spirit. What if I'm the one who has to master it?"

"Prairiemon said 'he,'" Jomei pointed out. "So it's probably Kado or Nao's."

"Great," Kado grumbled. "That makes me feel _so_ much better."

"Don't worry," Prairiemon said. "You're the Legendary Warriors! You can't lose!"

-.-.-.-

Though the digimon of Grass Town invited the children to stay the night, they politely declined, saying that they wanted to find the Beast Spirits and defeat the Flock as quickly as possible. But Taura, at least, just wanted to get away from the constant attention. Sure, it was nice that the digimon were hospitable, but they hadn't actually done anything for the town yet. The humans were treated like heroes – just because some prophecy said they would help. Taura hadn't been in the Digital World long enough to believe that she was an answer to some prophecy.

Because they left Grass Town in the middle of the afternoon, the group was forced to spend the night on the plain. Fearing an attack, Taura didn't sleep well, but none came that night, nor early the next day as they continued west.

A few hours into the day, they spotted the settlement. Dusty gray buildings punctuated the skyline, glimmering in the sunlight. But as they approached, it became clear that the structures weren't buildings, but ruins. Metallic spires like teeth jutted through walls and ceilings of what had once been stone houses, and the Taura had the sudden terrifying thought that the whole placed looked like it was being swallowed by an enormous monster. _Or a Beast Spirit_. And the state of the town left little question as to whose Spirit awaited them here.

As they entered the city, they found themselves walking on a mirrored street that crackled underfoot. Spiderweb fissures raced on ahead of them, and as Taura followed one set with her gaze it climbed one of the tooth-like formations. Suddenly she found herself staring at Nao's reflection. He was nearly as green as Mercurymon's armor.

"I don't think this was such a good idea," he whispered, running his hand over a lump of metal that looked like a meteorite.

"Suck it up," Jomei snapped, kicking at the street so that a more substantial crack appeared. Taura saw Nao's expression darken in the reflection and reached out to touch Jomei's arm, but it seemed he wasn't done yet. "We're better prepared this time – Kado's got his Spirit back, and I have Latranamon. Even if you screw up, it won't be the end of the Digital World."

He paused to scramble onto a twisted lump of metal that rose a good ten feet into the air, blocking the street, then turned and shot a thoughtful look over his shoulder. "And anyway, you already have one Spirit, don't you? Obviously _someone _thinks you're up to the job."

And then he was out of sight, dropping down the other side of the roadblock, and Taura couldn't resist studying Nao out of the corner of his eye as she helped Kado scale the wreckage. His expression was unreadable, as smooth as the steel teeth, but his eyes were downcast as he stepped up beside Kado and searched for a foothold.

_I should say something_, she thought. _But what? _Taura wasn't even sure what Jomei had meant with his words – they were so thick with insults that Taura was sure she had imagined the respect in his eyes when he turned around. Jomei had been acting strange ever since receiving his Beast Spirit. She might have thought he was having the same doubts about Nao as her, but usually he was much better at hiding things like that than she was.

"So what's the plan?" Tapirmon asked, hovering overhead as Taura finally reached the top of the wreckage. Suddenly the ground seemed a long way off, and she hated Tapirmon for not having to jump down.

Nao slipped as he neared the top, and Taura reached out a hand to help him up. He swallowed audibly as he looked down, then asked, "We need a plan?"

Tapirmon harrumphed in his _humans-don't-know-anything _way and drifted nearer to the boy. "Of course we need a plan! Look at the size of this place. It would take days to search it all, and who's to say we wouldn't wind up going in circles? If we want to find your Beast Spirit efficiently, we'd do well to think before we act."

Kado chose that moment to start his descent, and Tapirmon was too preoccupied with helping him to hear Nao's response: "Who says we want to find it at all?"

Taura shot him a smile as she swiveled to lower herself down the far side. "Don't worry, Nao," she whispered. "You can do it."

"You honestly think I'm going to be better at controlling my Beast Spirit than Jomei?" he asked, turning hard emerald eyes on her. She was too startled to answered, and Nao snorted. "That's what I thought." He slid off the metal and landed hard on the street below, taking so long to straighten that Taura feared he had hurt his ankle. Scrambling the last few feet, Taura turned and reached out a hand…but the moment she touched his shoulder, he pulled away and stood, striding stiffly down the street.

Sighing, Taura shared an exasperated look with Jomei before turning to help Tapirmon maneuver Kado down to the ground. The three of them gathered around Jomei, and Tapirmon glared at Nao until he joined them.

"Our best bet would be to get a Birdramon's-eye-view of the city and see if there are any areas of interest," Tapirmon said. "If the Spirit was sealed after an arduous battle, we may be able to find it by sheer level of devastation. Of course, since none of your Spirits has wings, we'll just have to find the city's highest point and climb up there."

"Why don't you fly up there, Tapirmon?" Kado asked.

The little Rookie looked so appalled at the suggestion that Taura had to smile. Unfortunately, it seemed she was the only one in a merry mood – Kado looked perplexed at Tapirmon's reaction, and Jomei and Nao wore twin glowers. Taura wondered whether they were paying any attention to the conversation.

"Me?" Tapirmon sputtered. "Fly up there? Young man, just what do you think I am? I don't fly; I levitate, and I had a hard enough time getting over that hunk of metal back there."

Taura rolled her eyes. "_You_ had a hard time? Try climbing it next time."

Tapirmon bristled at the suggestion, but went on. "Regardless, I can't get nearly high enough to scout the city, so one of you is going to have to do it."

"Arbormon isn't exactly the most agile digimon…" Kado pointed out, eying the sleek steel teeth and precarious stone remains. Taura doubted that Nao would be volunteering any time soon, and Jomei shot her a look that seemed to dare her to ask him to do it.

Heaving a sigh, Taura reached for her pocket. "I guess I'll do it, then. Execute: Spirit Evolution! Ranamon!"

Ranamon took a moment to scan the skyline for a good vantage point, selecting one of the larger teeth that had broken off near the top. It would be better than clinging to the slick surfaces that abounded in this place. A single leap took her to the top of the roadblock they had just crossed, and she wondered whether she should just stay in this form while they were in the city.

Leaping from ruin to ruin, Ranamon watched the street drop away below her and the sky broaden around her. It wasn't until she was nearly to her chosen perch that she realized the final gap would be too wide to jump. Pausing on a steel column that had fallen against a mostly intact building, Ranamon gauged the distance, then backed up to give herself a running start. She took three short strides, and then she was airborne.

"Aqualine Metamorphosis!" she cried as she felt herself begin to fall. The silken water enveloped her body and carried her higher into the air. When it fell away, she twisted in midair and landed lightly on the broken tooth.

_That wasn't so bad, _she thought, scanning the city spread out below her. The sun was high enough now that it reflected into her eyes from a dozen angles, and she had to squint to make anything out. As it turned out, there were parts of the city that weren't coated in steel, but they were few and far between. The largest of these areas was a stretch of the city's far wall that was so yellow-brown that it almost blended into the prairie beyond it.

Ranamon redirected her attention to the blinding steel, reminding herself that she was looking for where the battle had been the most intense. Teeth like the one she stood on sprinkled the city, and smaller steel formations rose to fill the gaps. Everywhere she looked, the original stone buildings had fallen into ruin, some obviously destroyed by the Beast Spirit of Steel, but some looking as though time had laid waste to the abandoned city in the years since. The whole place had the feel of a post-apocalyptic thriller, and she almost expected aliens or killer robots to emerge from the shadows at any moment.

Just when she was beginning to think that the whole town was too devastated to offer any clues, Ranamon spotted something to the west. A crater seemed to have been cut into the city, and in the center of the depression stood what looked to Ranamon like a large egg.

"I think I found something!" Ranamon called down, though she wasn't sure if the others would be able to hear her from the ground. She studied the route to the crater, searching for the streets with the fewest obstacles, but movement overhead distracted her and she glanced up.

"Wing Cutter!"

Ranamon didn't have time to search for a place to land as she threw herself from her perch. Two gusts of wind passed over her head and sliced through another tooth. Craning her head to survey the wreckage below, Ranamon realized there was nowhere to land without risking impaling herself on a steel spike. She would have to improvise.

A shadow passed over her and she twisted to see a blue dragon with crimson wings bearing down on her. A bone mask covered its face, and red eyes fixed her with a dull gaze. A second dragon digimon joined the first, colliding with its companion as it swerved to avoid a steel tooth.

They didn't seem terribly intelligent, but Ranamon didn't have time to figure out how to use that against them, for she was still falling. She would have to do something soon, or she would wind up a digital pancake. One of the dragons lunged forward, opening its maw to swallow her, but the other nipped at its wings, and the first turned its head as it flicked its tail in annoyance.

Ranamon seized the moment of distraction, forming a Vapor Trident and thrusting it into the first dragon's neck. The prongs sunk into the flesh, eliciting an agonized shriek, and Ranamon was nearly dashed against a nearby building as the digimon tossed its head. She clung to her Trident and the fiery red feathers that ringed the digimon's neck until the thrashing stopped and she was able to clamber onto its back.

The dragon roared in fury, and the other tried to nip at her. They were lower now, and Ranamon waited until they passed over a street before she leapt from the digimon's back, landing in a crouch on the smooth steel. Both digimon wheeled and flew down the broad avenue, wings flared wide and glowing.

"Wing Cutter!"

"Latrans Aegis!"

The stone barrier rose to block the four blades, and Latranamon slid to a stop beside her. "You alright?"

Ranamon nodded as the other Warriors arrived. "What are those things?"

"Airdramon," Tapirmon said. "Mythical Beast Champions of the Data attribute. Strong, but not particularly intelligent opponents."

A series of thuds sounded from the other side of Latranamon's shield. "I see what you mean," Mercurymon chuckled. "They don't seem to realize they could just fly around this thing."

Latranamon growled, but Ranamon spoke before he could say anything. "They don't seem used to working together. We might be able to use that."

Latranamon stared at Mercurymon a moment longer, then turned to Ranamon. "Did you see anything up there?"

She nodded, glancing over her shoulder. It wasn't far to the street that would lead them to the crater. "I'm not sure if it's what we're looking for, but it's worth checking out."

"Then we'll take care of the Airdramon. You take Mercurymon and Tapirmon and go find the Spirit."

Ranamon shook her head. "I'm not leaving!"

"You heard Tapirmon," the Warrior of Earth growled. "These guys are nothing compared to Jaymon. We'll be fine."

"What if more show up?" Tapirmon asked, glancing skyward. "Airdramon are known to hunt in packs."

"Then it would be better to have two Beast Spirits on our side."

Ranamon hesitated only a moment longer before nodding. "I guess you're right. Come on, you two. It's this way." She turned and started down the street, but Mercurymon made no move to follow.

"What are you waiting for, Naoko?" Latranamon snapped. "Get going!"

He hesitated, lips turning down as he turned to where Ranamon waited. "What if I can't control it? Ranamon can't hold off a Beast Spirit on her own."

"Well she's the only one who knows the way! You don't expect me to leave Arbormon to fight the Airdramon by himself, do you?" Mercurymon flinched at Latranamon's tone, but said nothing. Latranamon bared his fangs. "What kind of Legendary Warrior are you if you're too afraid to look for your Beast Spirit? This whole trip was a waste if you won't even try!"

Mercurymon's frown deepened, but after another moment of hesitation, he turned and sprinted after Ranamon, who found herself wishing he had eyes so she would have some clue what he was thinking. "Nao…"

"Let's get this over with," he murmured. "Which way?"

Ranamon considered pressing him, but an excited roar from behind stopped her. It seemed the Airdramon had finally figured out the secret of getting past the stone wall. Sighing, Ranamon took the lead, hurrying to the intersection she wanted and turning left. After the first time they had to wait for Tapirmon to scramble over a pile of debris, Ranamon tucked him under one arm and carried him the rest of the way.

And then they arrived. If there had been any buildings in this part of town, they had been reduced to dust long ago, and all that remained was a steel bowl hundred feet across and twenty feet deep. Ranamon stopped on the rim of the crater and set Tapirmon down, then pointed to the fifteen-foot-tall lump in the center of the depression. It wasn't smooth, as she'd thought, but had been carved to look remarkably like a sleeping bat…except, of course, for the fact that it wasn't hanging upside down. Crystalline eyes peered over the top of the wings that wrapped around it like a cocoon, but the more she studied it, the less the face looked like that of a bat.

"That _does _look promising," Tapirmon whispered. The sounds of battle were drawing nearer, and suddenly a shockwave knocked them all off balance. As she struggled to regain her footing, Ranamon stumbled forward and over the rim of the crater, and the next thing she knew she was at the bottom, staring at her reflection in the statue's wings. They looked almost translucent up close, and remarkably fragile, as though the statue was made of thin glass rather than steel.

"Are you alright?" Tapirmon asked, zipping up beside her. Nodding, Ranamon stood and turned. Mercurymon slid down the crater wall cautiously, and hurried toward them, slowing as he approached.

"Now what?" Ranamon asked, but Mercurymon didn't reply. "Hello? Mercurymon?" Fractal code wrapped around the Warrior, and when it faded, Ranamon realized Nao hadn't been looking at her at all, but beyond her, to the statue. "What is it?" she asked nervously as she turned, expecting to find herself face to face with some resurrected monster.

But the statue remained unchanged, and the Warrior of Water frowned. She was about to ask once more what was wrong, but Nao stopped a few inches from the statue, and Ranamon suddenly realized he had no reflection.

"Are you seeing this, Tapirmon?" she whispered.

"Seeing what?"

"He doesn't have a reflection!"

Tapirmon frowned at her, disbelieving, then floated forward to peer around Nao. "By the Angels, you're right!"

"Reflection?" Nao asked. "In what?"

"In that effigy right there!" Tapirmon cried. "It's less than a hoof's-breadth in front of you! How can you not see it?"

Nao turned to them, looking perplexed. "That's a digimon."

Ranamon snorted. "What did you expect, a statue of a human?"

"But it's _not _a statue. It's breathing."

"Preposterous!" Tapirmon cried, but he backed away, just to be safe. "It's made of steel! How can it be alive?"

Nao folded his arms. "Mercurymon's made of steel, isn't he?"

Ranamon stepped up beside Nao and peered at the statue, but as far as she could tell, it was all one piece, solid as a rock. And it definitely wasn't breathing, much to her relief. "Did you get a concussion the other day or something? This thing is just a statue!" To prove her point, she reached out and rapped on the smooth surface, ignoring Nao's cry of protest. The metal rang at her touch, and then the crater was silent once more. "See? No digimon."

But Nao's face was a mask of terror, and even Tapirmon was backing away. Startled, Ranamon turned back to the statue, and was horrified to find it glowing. The steel over the eyes seemed to melt, and they blinked and began to glisten with moisture, and the Warrior found herself paralyzed by an angry red glare.

The beast raised its head and let out a roar, but no matter how it struggled, its wings remained fixed in place. If they ran now, they could still get away.

_Warriors…_ The voice echoed in her head, and it took Ranamon a moment to realize that it was the Beast who had spoken. _Thou art the Legendary Warriors. At last thou hast come to release me! At last I shall be free! No longer shall I be demeaned by lowly digimon who would claim my power as their own._

The red eyes took the three of them in, then settled on Nao. _Thou…Human…Thou shalt be my host. Thou art the one who shall wield my power. Together we shall triumph over our enemies!_

"Nao," Tapirmon whispered. "I do believe he's talking to you."

_Thy name is Naoko Kimura? I am Arkenmon, Beast Spirit of Steel. Join me, Naoko. My power is thine._

Ranamon stopped backing away. "You're giving us your power? Just like that?"

_I am granting _him _my power. None other._

"Nonetheless." Tapirmon, too, had stopped retreating. "This is excellent news! Go on, Nao. Take your Spirit!"

Ranamon sighed in relief. "Looks like we don't have to worry about you losing control after all." Nao turned to her, pain on his face, and Ranamon cringed. "That didn't come out right. I –"

"How?" Nao asked stiffly, turning back to the Spirit. Most of the steel had vanished, but the bottoms of the wings were still fastened to the pedestal on which the Spirit rested. The wings themselves were thin and translucent, like frosted glass, but below the steel mask that covered the Beast's face, Taura could see scaly green skin.

_Step forward. Once we are united, I shall be released from this prison and my Spirit will belong to thee._

Nao chewed on his lip for a moment, then stepped forward, hand outstretched. He hesitated again as his fingers brushed the glassy wings, then closed his eyes and took another step. The wing rippled and parted around his hand like a waterfall, and Nao's arm disappeared up to the elbow.

A sound like a sigh rushed through Ranamon's mind, raising the hairs on her neck. _I see…They art thine enemies. They have caused you much pain. Very well. I shall help you destroy them._

Nao's eyes went wide and he took a step back, but his arm remained where it was. "Wait!"

The Beast tilted his head as the remaining steel began to hum. _Why art thou troubled? Our union hast begun. It cannot be stopped now._

Shaking his head, Nao tugged on his arm, but it would not dislodge. "No! That's not what I want!" The hum escalated to a whine and the steel began to crack. The Beast flexed his wings, and Nao's arm sank deeper in.

"Nao!" Ranamon cried, watching helplessly as the rippling surface inched up his arm. It was nearly to his shoulder already; soon it would be too late.

"Taura!" he gasped, craning his neck to stare, wide-eyed at her.

"Just hang on! I'll get you out of there."

"No!" he shouted as she started forward. "You have to run!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

"I don't want to hurt you! _Run!_"

The cracks had reached the ground now, and Nao stumbled as the steel under his feet shifted. He pitched forward, a hair's breadth from the wing. And in a flash of light, he disappeared. The last of the steel crumbled and the Beast Spirit launched itself into the air. The downdraft from its wings knocked Ranamon off her feet and she stared awestruck at the digimon overhead.

It was a dragon like the Airdramon, but smaller, with a white underbelly and forest green scales on its back. It had three pairs of wings, all made of the translucent, glassy substance. Rings of steel armor inlaid with emeralds encircled its body at five foot intervals, and the steel mask that covered its face curved back into sleek emerald horns. Green feathers tipped its tail. A fist-sized ruby gleamed in its underbelly near the first pair of wings.

Arkenmon flew a figure eight pattern overhead, his attention elsewhere, but Ranamon was too stunned by Nao's transformation to think about hiding. It wasn't until Tapirmon tugged on her arm that she scrambled to her feet and began running for the edge of the crater.

Ranamon leaped to the rim without a problem, but had to pause to haul Tapirmon the last two feet. By this time, Arkenmon's attention had returned to them, and he swooped down, passing less than a foot over Ranamon's head, and swatted her with his tail. The feathers on his tail were not feathers at all, she realized. They were blades, and they left long gashes on her arms.

Biting down her cry of pain, Ranamon spun and sprinted down the street, ducking into an alley as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Tapirmon almost overshot the turn, so she seized his hoof and dragged him along behind her. Arkenmon's serpentine body couldn't manage such a tight turn and he slammed into a wall. Ranamon pressed on, taking every turn she came to as she summoned her D-Tector and fought with it until it showed her where Jomei and Kado were.

When she finally found the correct function, she realized she would have to double back. She let out a groan, but Arkenmon chose that moment to crash around the corner behind her and launch his first attack.

"Lind Flame!"

Ranamon threw herself into another alley as blue-white flames consumed the street, laying down a fresh layer of steel. Even the portions of rock that had been showing now gleamed silver in the ghostly light.

Fighting off the growing stitch in her side, Ranamon continued running, managing to stay just out of Arkenmon's reach. At last, she saw movement at the end of the alley she had just turned into – Latranamon!

"Hey!" she gasped, too breathless to manage more. But the Warrior of Earth heard her and turned as Arbormon appeared beside him.

"Ranamon, where's–?"

Arkenmon roared as he rounded the corner, snapping a steel spire off at its base. "Lind Flame!"

"Latrans Aegis!"

Ranamon turned as the shield sprang up, and watched the blue flames lick at the edges, turning the stone to steel.

"Is that him?" Arbormon asked, falling back into a battle-ready crouch. Ranamon could only nod, and Tapirmon took up the explanation.

"His name is Arkenmon. He seemed sentient enough when we talked to him, but I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding. He seems to think _we're _the enemy."

_That's no mistake_, Ranamon thought. _He said he would destroy those who had hurt Nao. That means me, and Jomei, too._ She decided not to voice this thought, however, for she knew Nao hadn't wanted this to happen. She had seen the panic on his face when he realized what was happening, and after all, he _had_ tried to warn her.

"I guess we'll just have to fight him, then," Latranamon growled, tensing as Arkenmon sailed over the top of the wall and looped around to barrel down at them.

"Dousing Torrent!" Ranamon gasped, still feeling a bit out of breath.

"Tree Cannon!"

Arkenmon twisted to avoid the attacks and opened his mouth. "Lind Flame!"

"Latrans Aegis!" The first stone shield vanished as a new one arced from the roof of a nearby building. Arkenmon was too close and moving too quickly to stop himself before he crashed into the stone, and a thin crack appeared on the shield's underside.

Arbormon inhaled sharply. "He's going to have a heck of a headache tomorrow."

"Never mind that," Latranamon growled. "If he can crack that shield, we're in for a tough fight. Now get moving."

Ranamon groaned as the other Warriors took off running, but followed anyway. No way was she staying to fight Arkenmon alone. Latranamon led them onto a broad street, and Arkenmon let out a roar as he recovered from the collision and chased after them.

"Erebor!"

Spinning around, Ranamon readied herself to face whatever new attack Arkenmon was throwing at them. Arkenmon hurtled toward them, keeping low to the ground, and every few seconds he flickered and disappeared, only to reappear a few feet higher, or closer, or to the right. Ranamon could barely keep track of him, and she doubted she would be able to time her dodge well enough to avoid the careening Beast Spirit.

But Arkenmon passed her, and she whirled, realizing too late who his target was – "Jomei!"

Latranamon had no time to react before Arkenmon slammed into his side, sending him crashing through several steel spires. The dragon chased after him, ramming him again as he struggled to his feet, and Latranamon roared in pain as he was flung into a wall.

"Granite Claws!" he cried, swiping at Arkenmon as he came in for another attack. The dragon digimon retreated, opting for a ranged attack.

"Lind Flame!"

The flame encased Latranamon's legs in steel, rooting him in place.

"We've got to help him!" Ranamon cried.

"Arkenmon's too strong!" Arbormon protested, though he joined Ranamon in racing down the street. "He'll obliterate us!"

"He's going to obliterate Latranamon if we don't do something, and if that happens, we're screwed. Dousing Torrent!" The disk of water caught Arkenmon between the wings, and he whirled to face her.

"Howling Concussion!" Latranamon roared, letting loose a shockwave that sent Arkenmon crashing to the ground.

Arbormon didn't wait for him to get up. "Cedar Snare!" He turned to Ranamon as the roots twined around the dragon's body. "See if you can get Latranamon free. I'll stall Arkenmon as long as I can. Cedar Snare!"

Ranamon grunted an acknowledgement. Summoning a Vapor Trident, she turned and dashed to Latranamon and began hacking away at the steel holding him in place. It was slow going, and she hoped the despair didn't show on her face.

Arkenmon let out a roar and Ranamon could hear wood snapping as he broke out of Arbormon's roots – _Arbormon! _Ranamon whirled and saw that Arkenmon had the Warrior of Wood backed against a wall.

"Tree Cannon!" Panic gave Arbormon's voice a shrill edge, but he managed to aim the attack well enough that one of the projectiles connected, drawing another roar from the Beast Spirit.

"Arbormon!" Ranamon cried, sprinting toward him.

Behind her, Latranamon struggled against the steel. "Ranamon! Wait!"

Flicking his ruby eyes to Ranamon, Arkenmon twisted around and rushed to meet her, veering at the last minute to avoid the sweep of her Vapor Trident and catch her with his tail. The blow sent her flying, and as she hit the ground, the breath escaped her lungs. For a moment she couldn't work up the energy to rise, but Latranamon's cry brought her back to her senses and she shot to her feet.

The Warrior of Earth was still stuck in place, Arkenmon circling overhead, darting down from time to time to strike at Latranamon's back and neck. Though she couldn't be sure, Ranamon thought he was smiling.

"Jomei!" Ranamon cried. "Leave him alone, Nao! You're hurting him!"

_I know_.

The voice was different now – more like Nao than the audible voice that had been calling out attacks. It was laughing.

Scowling, Ranamon charged forward. "Stop it! Aqualine Metamorphosis!"

Arkenmon executed a half twist as she rematerialized from the column of water and caught her with his tail. She tumbled to the ground, blood seeping from a new wound across her abdomen, and Arbormon rushed to her side as she tried to stand.

"Are you alright?" Tapirmon pressed, hovering nearby.

She waved him off. "Go hide somewhere. You're going to get yourself killed."

"Erebor!"

"Howling Concussion!"

Ranamon looked up as Arkenmon broke through the shockwave and crashed into Latranamon with enough force to shatter the steel around his legs, flinging him down the street away from the others. Trying once more to stand, Ranamon forced herself forward, but the pain brought her back to her knees, and she stared on in horror as Arkenmon wrapped his serpentine body around Latranamon and began to constrict.

"Execute: Slide Evolution! Grumblemon!"

Being considerably smaller than his Beast form, Grumblemon was able to slip out of the dragon's grasp. He landed on one knee, breathing hard, but before he could turn back into Latranamon, Arkenmon whipped his tail down, tossing Grumblemon against a nearby building, then looped around and began his charge.

"Erebor!"

The building collapsed as Arkenmon slammed into it, and Ranamon screamed, dragging herself forward. Arkenmon shook off the debris that had fallen on him and turned to survey her.

_Don't scream like that, Taura. He isn't dead yet._

"Nao!" Arbormon cried, running forward. "Stop this, Nao! We're your friends!"

"Kado!" Tapirmon warned, his hoof resting on Ranamon's shoulder. "Come back here! You don't stand a chance against him!"

Arbormon ignored him and ran up to Arkenmon. "Nao! I know you don't want to hurt us! But you have to fight the Beast Spirit, or you're going to kill someone! Please, Nao!" The dragon eyed him silently for long seconds, but made no move to attack, and Ranamon stood, this time managing to remain upright. She stumbled forward, and Arkenmon's eyes turned on her, hardening.

"Nao!" Arbormon shouted, flinging his arms out as thought that would stop the Beast Spirit from attacking Ranamon.

_Let him attack_, Ranamon thought angrily. She had to get to Jomei, had to make sure he was okay. The blood loss was beginning to make her lightheaded, though, and she had to stop for a moment to steady herself against a wall.

"Look at what you're doing!" Arbormon cried. When had he gotten so close to her, Ranamon wondered? He had been so far away… "You have to stop!"

_You call yourselves friends, _the voice in her head taunted. _You aren't my friends. You deserve to die._

_No!_

And that time it _was _Nao's voice she heard. Ranamon looked up and found Arkenmon hovering over them, red eyes wide, flicking from Ranamon to the rubble where Grumblemon had landed.

_Taura…Jomei…What…? No! _Arkenmon whirled and shot over to the crumbled wall, shoving debris out of the way until he found Jomei, lying unconscious on the ground, a ring of fractal code encircling his torso. The bluish glow cast a sickly pallor on his face, and Ranamon felt weak in the knees.

_Jomei? _Nao's voice asked. Fractal code wrapped around Arkenmon, leaving Nao in the Spirit's place as it dissipated. "Jomei?" his voice wavered, and he stumbled away from Jomei's body.

"Nao," Arbormon began, devolving as he stepped forward. "It's alright. We'll find help. He'll be fine."

"No…" Nao shook his head, backing farther away. "I did this…I almost killed him."

Ranamon let herself devolve and forced herself closer to Jomei. It was easier to move now, but not by much, and Tapirmon had to support her when she moved away from the wall. Tears blurred her vision, but she reached Jomei's side and collapsed onto the rubble around him.

"Taura," Nao whispered. She glared at him, and he fell back another step, lowering his gaze. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Kado insisted.

_Yes it is,_ Taura thought. From the look on his face, Nao felt the same way. With one last look around the city at all the devastation he'd caused, he turned and fled. Kado started after him, stopping when Taura called his name.

"Let him go," she grunted.

Kado hesitated. "But…"

"We need to find help for Jomei," she snapped. "I can't carry him by myself, and I can't Spirit Evolve, either. We'll go after Nao once we've recovered."

Tapirmon drifted nearer to the boy. "I do believe Taura is right, Kado. Nao can defend himself for the time being. I dare say he's in far better shape than we are at the moment. He'll find his own way back, like as not." Kado glanced once more down the street, but Nao had disappeared down the road to the north, so Kado sighed and Spirit Evolved to Arbormon. Lifting Jomei as gently as his large form allowed, he turned and followed Taura south.

**Next time: "Loose Ends" – The adults search for the mysterious Celestial power, but the Continent of Light guards one final secret.**

**A little trivia about Arkenmon: His name and the attack Erebor both come from The Hobbit. Erebor is the Lonely Mountain terrorized by the dragon Smaug, in whose possession is a treasure known as the Arkenstone. The attack Lind Flame comes from a type of European dragon called a lindworm, which often is portrayed as a wingless serpent with a poisonous bite. He also has one other attack inspired by the dragons of Chinese mythology, but that doesn't show up for a while yet.**


	12. Loose Ends

**Last time…The kids set off in search of the next Beast Spirit, and found Arkenmon, the Beast Spirit of Steel. When Nao evolved, he went on a rampage, wounding Taura and nearly killing Jomei. He eventually came back to his senses, but ran off on his own while the others took Jomei and went in search of a healer.**

**And since we're back to the parents, here's a recap of chapter 7: Upon arriving in the Digital World, the parents were reunited with Bokomon and Neemon, but the lack of light made Kouichi ill. Kouji and Takuya found their Human Spirits at Seraphimon's castle and helped Ryuudamon defeat a trio of Centarumon. The Rookie informed them of a hidden "Celestial" treasure, so the team set out in search of it**

**Chapter 12: Loose Ends**

_It is the loose ends with which men hang themselves.  
-Zelda Fitzgerald_

Kouichi's head had begun to pound long before the Warriors had reached Seraphimon's castle, but something about the Celestial's power had eased the pain while Kouji and Takuya fought the Centarumon. Kouji must have noticed, for they had lingered there longer than necessary, but now they were moving again, and the pounding had returned.

Once again, Kouichi tried to distract himself. He had already attempted a conversation with Bokomon and Neemon, but the former was too busy lamenting that he had given the Book of Knowledge to his apprentice, a Tapirmon, to carry on a decent conversation, and the latter's idea of small talk revolved around pants. In the end, Kouichi had retreated into his own thoughts.

Despite what Zoe had said, Kouichi knew that Nao was in the Digital World. There were four newly arrived digidestined – a fact he had not known when he had received his D-Tector, but which made his case all the stronger. Granted, it would have taken several days for the children to obtain four Spirits and defeat Serpimon, but time flowed differently in the Digital World than it did on earth. One afternoon on earth may well have been days here.

He wanted to voice his renewed suspicions to Zoe, and perhaps to Kouji as well, but decided to wait until the others were farther away and less likely to overhear. He didn't trust his hunch enough to worry Takuya and Tommy just yet. Besides, their kids might not even be involved. Jomei might not be involved, for that matter. The only one he was sure about was Nao.

"How are you feeling?" Kouji asked, dropping back from where Takuya was trying to keep Bokomon from murdering Neemon for forgetting what the Book of Knowledge was.

Kouichi smiled faintly at the two digimon and shrugged. "Alright. As long as we don't have to spend days on end in this light, I'll be fine."

"Ryuudamon said the temple of the Celestials isn't too far from here," Kouji assured him. "One quick stop there and we can look for a way to another continent."

"And look for the new digidestined," Kouichi added, mind returning to Nao. Where was he now? Was he in danger? No, that wasn't the right question to ask. The Legendary Warriors were always in danger…How was he coping?

Zoe's touch on his arm startled him, and blushing, he turned to see what she wanted. She was frowning. "You aren't still thinking about _that,_ are you?"

"About what?" Kouichi asked innocently.

"Don't play dumb with me, mister," she teased. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about."

Kouji's brow furrowed. "Mind filling me in?"

Glancing around, Kouichi slowed his pace. Takuya was still busy with Bokomon and Neemon, and Ryuudamon had struck up a conversation with JP and Tommy. If he was quiet about it, he could tell Kouji without the others overhearing. Zoe elbowed him in the ribs and glared at him. She didn't want Kouichi to worry the others unnecessarily, Kouichi knew, but Kouji was his twin. He would figure it out eventually, whether Kouichi told him or not. Leaning over to whisper in Kouji's ear, Kouichi explained his suspicions as briefly as possible.

When he had finished, Kouji frowned – not a frown of disbelief, but one of contemplation. "I have to admit, it makes sense," he said after a long pause.

Zoe sighed. "That doesn't mean it's true."

"No. There's really no way to prove it one way or the other unless we find the new digidestined."

Now it was Kouichi's turn to sigh. "I know. I just hope we can catch up to them soon."

"Hey!" Tommy called. "Look, guys. We're here!"

Zoe and the twins hurried to catch up with the others, and emerged from the forest onto a neatly manicured lawn surrounding a structure made of deep red wood. Each corner of the temple seemed to consist of a whole, live tree, complete with leaves, but on closer inspection the green things that made up the temple's roof were actually thin slates of green glass. The building had no windows and only one door, but the mahogany walls were thick with carvings depicting the Celestial Angels and the Legendary Warriors.

"Now that's what I call a temple!" Takuya cried, racing across the lawn for a better look at the carvings. Kouji sent his twin a bemused smile, and Kouichi did his best to return it, but the light was getting to him more than ever, and he was starting to feel dizzy. He heard Takuya's voice as though from a great distance: "Hey, wait a minute. That's…"

"What is it?" Kouji asked, crossing to where Takuya stood. He peered up at the wall for a moment, then glanced back to where Kouichi stood with Zoe.

_What? _Kouichi wanted to ask. _Why are you looking at me like that? _He knew he should get closer, see for himself what had Kouji and Takuya so intrigued, but his head didn't feel quite connected to his body. It was like he was watching from the far end of a tunnel as his feet began to shuffle forward. Static gnawed at the edges of his vision.

-.-.-.-

_Duskmon_.

Takuya shuddered at the carvings, which depicted with startling accuracy the battle between the corrupted Warrior of Darkness and the Warriors of Light and Fire. The only detail it left out, as far as Takuya could tell, was that Duskmon had actually been Kouichi, overwhelmed by Cherubimon and Duskmon's power. The panel that should have shown Kouji freeing his brother from his corrupted Spirits showed instead a digiegg rising from Velgemon's dissipating data.

"Kouichi!"

Takuya whirled as Kouji raced back across the lawn, dropping to his knees beside Zoe, who was cradling her husband's head in her lap.

"Why's Kouichi sleeping?" Neemon asked, climbing onto Zoe's shoulder.

"You idiot!" Bokomon squawked, clambering up beside him. "He's not sleeping! He's fainted! We have to do something! Kouichi, my boy! Wake up!" Losing his balance, Bokomon toppled from Zoe's shoulder, landing on Kouichi's chest. Kouji brushed him aside and felt for a pulse.

"What happened?" Tommy asked as he and JP joined the others at Kouichi's side. "Is he alright?"

Knowing he should join his friends, Takuya stepped away from the temple, but found his eyes drawn back to the carvings. There was something about this place that just didn't sit well with him.

"Hey, Ryuudamon?" he called, not turning. "What's the story behind this temple?"

"The temple?" Bokomon cried, overdramatic as usual. "Kouichi's fainted and all you can think about is some silly temple?"

"That's no ordinary temple," Kouji said. Takuya managed to tear his eyes away from the carvings long enough to meet Kouji's anxious gaze. "There are carvings of Duskmon all over it."

Zoe gasped. "You're kidding!" Takuya shook his head, and Zoe turned to Ryuudamon. "Takuya's right, Ryuudamon. We need to know more about this temple."

The Rookie nodded. "According to legend, this land was once covered in darkness, long ago when Cherubimon rebelled against his fellow Angels. They say the Legendary Warriors – you – defeated a great darkness called Velgemon at this very spot, then went on to defeat Cherubimon himself.

"After you returned home, the reawakened Legendary Warriors began to rebuild the world. Years passed, and as digimon regained their former powers, they began to speak out against the Celestial Angels. They no longer trusted the Angels to rule them and wanted the Legendary Warriors to take their place. But the Warriors still had work to do. There were battles to be fought, and whole sections of the Digital World yet to be restored; they knew they couldn't serve as rulers of the Digital World."

"So what did they do?" Takuya asked.

Ryuudamon turned from Zoe to Takuya. "They chose ten Guardians to rule in their stead, the wisest and noblest digimon they could find, and they granted them some of their elemental powers. The Guardians of Fire and Light were put in charge of this region and they restored the balance between darkness and light."

Kouji scoffed. "Restored the balance? There _is _no darkness here! That's about as far from balance as you can get."

"It wasn't always like this," Ryuudamon assured him. "The Warriors made sure the elements were always in equilibrium. But then, twenty years ago, they disappeared, and the Digital World was reconfigured to form the five continents we have today. The Guardians did their best to maintain order in the Warrior's absence, but when the Guardian of Light was lost, the fragile peace unraveled."

"What do you mean, 'lost'?" Zoe demanded. "What happened?"

"No one knows for sure. There were signs of a battle, and darkness lingered on the battlefield, but no trace of the Guardian of Light could be found. Many digimon blamed her demise on the Guardian of Darkness, for only another Guardian could have defeated her, but the Guardian of Darkness had vanished as well. Into hiding, some say."

"But what about this temple?" Takuya pressed. "When was it built? And why?"

"After the Guardians of Light and Darkness disappeared, the remaining Guardians mounted a search for the Angels, convincing the other digimon that the Angels were the only ones with enough power to help them. Mistrust of the Angels had long since faded, you see. But the Angels were nowhere to be found. Everyone had their own theory about who was behind all the disappearances, but on this continent, digimon were convinced it had to do with the darkness – Velgemon, Cherubimon, the Guardian of Darkness – and built this temple to protect themselves."

Alarmed, Kouji stood and turned to face Ryuudamon. "And they did that by ridding this continent of darkness?"

"Not just that," Ryuudamon replied, his voice maddeningly calm, although his brow was deeply furrowed as he glanced at each Warrior in turn. "The power of the Warriors, and of the Celestials, lingered in the air. The strongest of the digimon on this continent united their powers and collected this power into the artifacts in this temple. They wove a powerful spell over the land, an enchantment of light that attacks any darkness that comes here."

"Attacks?" Kouji cried. "Is there any way to stop it?"

Hesitating, the draconic Rookie glanced at Kouichi's face, then shook his head. "I don't know for sure. They say the enchantment is cast on the artifacts in the temple, so perhaps…"

"If you can claim them," a new voice said. "The enchantment will surely be broken. That's what you're thinking, isn't it, traitor?" Takuya whirled as a group of digimon emerged from the forest. Three of them were Centarumon, but the other four were smaller, mechanical purple spheres that hovered a few feet off the ground, staring at the group with wicked grins. Each held a sword in its red-gloved hands.

"Those are Tekkamon," Bokomon whispered. "Ultimate level machine digimon. Nasty creatures, and no pushovers either."

"They are the last of Serpimon's servants," Ryuudamon added.

Takuya frowned and crossed his arms. "What do you want?"

The Tekkamon who had spoken before chuckled. "You humans…you're Legendary Warriors, aren't you?"

"And what if we are?" Kouji asked, coming to Takuya's side, between the digimon and Kouichi.

"Excellent. You see, we want the power that's sealed in this temple." The Tekkamon turned and floated to the lone doorway and held out a hand. A barrier flashed as his hand approached, and the Tekkamon shook his head. "But you see, only a Legendary Warrior can remove the barriers blocking our way."

"What makes you think we're going to help you?" JP demanded.

"You have no choice," the Tekkamon pointed out. "You want the spell over this continent to be reversed, correct? The only way to do that is for someone to claim the power in this temple. And we'd rather that someone was us."

Dumbfounded, Takuya glanced to Kouji, and was surprised to see a bored expression on Kouji's face. "Sure, we'd like to reverse the spell, but we never said it was urgent."

Several of the Tekkamon looked crestfallen at this statement, but their leader merely laughed. "Nice try, human. But I do believe your friend over there is the Warrior of Darkness, is he not? Another hour under this spell, and he'll be dead. I'd say it _is _pretty urgent, wouldn't you?"

"Crap," Kouji growled, shoulders slumping. Takuya placed his hand on the other man's shoulder.

"It was worth a try," he said, then turned to the Tekkamon. "Looks like we don't have a choice though. We'll have to go along with it." _For now_, he added silently. Kouji nodded, face grim.

"Splendid!" The Tekkamon gestured to the door. "I take it you two are volunteering?" Takuya glanced to Kouji, and the two men nodded simultaneously. "Very well. You four!" He indicated the Centarumon and one of the other Tekkamon. "Stay here and guard the others. Don't let them escape."

"What?" Takuya cried, turning to face the others. They didn't have Spirits – they couldn't defend themselves! "You can't –"

"We'll be fine, Takuya," Zoe assured him, a playful grin on her face. "I'm not planning on becoming some sort of a damsel in distress, you know. You just worry about yourselves." Takuya hesitated, but Kouji grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the temple door.

"What are you-?"

"Shut up," Kouji hissed. "And get ready to evolve. We'll have to take these three out before they can get their hands on the artifacts."

Nodding, Takuya lifted his chin and strode confidently toward the door. As he stretched out his hand, he felt the glassy barrier under his fingers waver and then disappear altogether. Part of him hoped it would only allow Legendary Warriors to pass, but the Tekkamon floated through without any trouble. Two of the digimon went first, followed by the two Warriors, and the third Tekkamon brought up the rear.

On the other side of the door, they found themselves in a short, dim passageway. At least, it seemed dimmer than the forest outside, for the walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of the same dark wood as the exterior of the temple. The corridor was so narrow that the Centarumon wouldn't have been able to fit.

Then suddenly the passage opened up into a cavernous space that held so much light it looked as misty as a swamp at twilight. Six trunk-like pillars stretched up to the ceiling, which was made entirely of the glass leaves and shone like traffic lights. In the center of the space stood two pedestals that seemed to grow from the floor itself, each holding a gleaming object: the Beast Spirits of Fire and Light.

Takuya swallowed, remembering the power of the Beast Spirits. If the Tekkamon got their hands on them, Takuya and Kouji wouldn't stand a chance. Fortunately, it seemed Kouji had a plan. He nudged Takuya and glanced down. Takuya followed his gaze to the pocket where he kept his D-Tector. Nodding, the Warrior of Fire reached into his pocket and gripped the digivice, waiting for an opportunity to present itself.

"There they are!" one of the Tekkamon cried, floating forward.

"Too bad there are only two of them," Kouji commented, smirking when the three digimon turned to stare at him. "If there were three, you'd each get one, but since there are only two…"

Takuya grinned, realizing where this was heading. "Man, I feel bad for the poor sucker who gets the short end of the stick. Just think! You come all this way and then get stuck with nothing."

The leader of the Tekkamon shrugged. "It makes no difference to me who gets the other artifact. You two figure it out."

The two subordinates turned to each other, each gripping his sword. "I should get it," one said.

"I'm the second in command," the other argued. "It should go to me!"

"I've fought ten times as many battles as you! I need it more!"

"You know…" Takuya said, as though the thought had just occurred to him. "If you wanted to, the two of you could overpower that jerk over there. Then you'd both get an artifact!" The Tekkamon stopped arguing and turned to the humans.

Kouji struck a thoughtful pose and nodded. "Yeah…What gives him the right to take one for himself, anyhow?"

"They're right!" the second-in-command said. "He's not much of a leader, if you think about it."

"He never fights," the other agreed. "We deserve the Celestial power more than he does!"

The leader realized too late what was going on and turned to talk some sense into his subordinates, but they didn't wait for him to say anything, instead raising their swords. Electricity began to gather on the blades, and soon flames joined the sparks.

"Zandenken!" the two cried in unison.

"Now, Takuya!" Kouji hissed as the Tekkamon darted toward their leader, swords held high. Takuya nodded, drawing his D-Tector.

"Execute! Spirit Evolution!"

"Agunimon!"

"Lobomon!"

"Get to your Spirit!" Lobomon called, leaping toward the knot of Tekkamon as he raised his arm and let off three shots. "Howling Laser!"

While the blasts sent all three Tekkamon tumbling, Agunimon kept running, snatching up his Beast Spirit as he reached the pedestal. The light in the temple seemed to dim, but Agunimon was too busy laughing as the familiar rush of power flooded through him to notice the lighting. This was going to be fun.

"Slide Evolution! BurningGreymon!"

Flexing his wings, BurningGreymon lifted off, hovering in the air near Lobomon's shoulder. "Your turn, buddy. I'll take care of these goons!"

Lobomon shot him a wry look. "Just don't get carried away. We don't want to bring the temple down on top of us."

"Hey!" BurningGreymon protested, but Lobomon just laughed and turned to retrieve his Beast Spirit. The Warrior of Flame glared after him for a second, then turned back to the Tekkamon, who were struggling to recover from Lobomon's attacks. "Pyro Barrage!" To be safe, BurningGreymon aimed his arm guns carefully and restrained himself so he wouldn't damage the temple itself too much – which wasn't to say that Lobomon had been right, of course…

"Slide Evolution! KendoGarurumon! Lupine Laser!"

As the blue-white beam collided with the Tekkamon, they faded to shadows and fractal code, and BurningGreymon turned to pout at his best friend. "I was going to take care of them," he whined, summoning his D-Tector.

"Well then you should've been quicker about it."

BurningGreymon sighed and swiped the digivice. "Fractal code…Digitize!" Once the silhouettes had dissolved, leaving three eggs behind, BurningGreymon glanced around the chamber. "Did we undo the spell?"

KendoGarurumon remained silent for a moment. "I can't tell. That weird mist is gone, at least. We'll have to go outside to be sure."

"Right. But how do we get the Centarumon and the other Tekkamon away from our friends?"

"This doesn't seem to be a particularly bright bunch," KendoGarurumon pointed out.

BurningGreymon frowned. "So…?"

The Warrior of Light chuckled. "So just follow my lead."

Shrugging BurningGreymon glanced around. "Looks like we'll have to go up. Pyro Barrage!" As the emerald roof shattered, orange-tinted light streamed in – the light of sunset. BurningGreymon grinned and took flight. As he cleared the roof, he looked down and saw glorious indigo shadows stretching across the ground. _Never thought darkness would look so nice._

KendoGarurumon leaped over the temple wall and landed near the anxiously waiting group of humans and digimon. BurningGreymon landed behind KendoGarurumon and waited to see what he had in mind.

"Who are you?" the lone Tekkamon demanded, trembling visibly.

KendoGarurumon growled. "Who do you think it is, you idiot? Don't you recognize your own leader?"

BurningGreymon saw from the others' faces that they recognized Kouji's voice, but like him, instantly understood his plan. All except Neemon, that is. "Isn't that –"

Bokomon smacked him over the back of the head. "Of course it is! They've gotten their hands on the Beast Spirits! Oh, this is bad! Bad I tell you! We're all doomed! Dooooomed!" BurningGreymon grimaced at his overdramatic wail, but it convinced the Tekkamon and his companions.

"O-of course I recognize you, sir!" he stammered. "But…where's the other Tekkamon?"

"Taking care of the humans," KendoGarurumon growled. "Did you think we were going to let them escape? Now get away from those ones so I can eliminate them."

"Yes, sir!"

Once they were a fair distance away from the humans, BurningGreymon glided forward and planted himself between the two groups, leveling his Rudori Tarpana cannons at Serpimon's minions. They gaped at him, stunned and perplexed, and stammered protests.

"Wow…" Zoe said dryly. "I'm beginning to see why Serpimon lost. The only digimon who agreed with her are morons."

Tekkamon gaped at BurningGreymon and KendoGarurumon in turn. "Wait…you aren't Tekkamon, are you?"

JP clapped his hands. "Nice deduction there, Sparky. Now keep going…What does that mean for you?"

The digimon swallowed and raised his sword. "Centarumon! Get ready to fight."

BurningGreymon groaned. "Oh, come on! Don't be like that. We already scanned your buddies. You really want to go the same way?"

"Slamming Skull!" the Tekkamon cried, charging forward and ramming BurningGreymon, creating an explosion that made the Beast Spirit stagger.

"That answer your question, Takuya?" KendoGarurumon asked as the Centarumon raised their hands.

"Solar Ray!"

"Howling Star!" Extending his wing blades, KendoGarurumon shot forward, unfazed by the energy bolts, and sliced through the trio of Champions.

BurningGreymon sighed. "Wildfire Tsunami!" As fire engulfed the Warrior, Tekkamon backed away, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid the waves of flame that came hurtling toward him, and he landed with a cry on top of the Centarumon. "Should've given it up," BurningGreymon muttered. "Fractal code…Digitize!"

-.-.-.-

Someone was poking him.

"Would you stop that? Honestly Neemon, for once in your life could you try to act mature?"

"But I think he's waking up!"

"And I'm sure he'd rather wake up without your finger in his side!"

"Stop fighting, you two," Zoe sighed. "I swear, you haven't changed one bit!"

"Aww, thanks!"

"Neemon," Takuya said, "I don't think that was a complement."

Groaning, Kouichi forced himself to open his eyes. The others were huddled around him, their faces lost in shadow…_Shadow? _He shook his head and started to sit up. Kouji grabbed his elbow to support him, and Kouichi smiled at his brother.

"How are you feeling?" Kouji asked.

Kouichi paused for a moment, letting his senses reassert themselves. His headache was gone now, and the forest had stopped spinning. He still felt tired, and a bit out of sorts, but even that was quickly vanishing. "Good. The best I've felt since getting here, actually."

"I guess it really was that spell, then," JP mused, scratching his chin.

"Well of course it was!" Bokomon chided, pacing in that peculiar way he had – hand behind his back, nose in the air. "What else do you think could cause him to faint?"

Kouichi frowned. "Spell?"

"A bunch of digimon cast a spell on this continent," Tommy explained. "It attacked any darkness it found, even…"

"Even me," Kouichi finished. "Yikes. How'd you stop it?"

"Found our Beast Spirits," Takuya boasted, gesturing to the temple behind him. "Turns out that's what the locals used as the basis for their spell."

"So what now? Do we go after the new digidestined, or try to find more Spirits?"

"Actually," Zoe said, "we were just talking about. Ryuudamon said that until the new guys came, there wasn't even a way off this continent. A Trailmon line appeared after they defeated Serpimon, but if that's the only option we have, it's pointless to argue about which way we should go."

Takuya rolled his eyes. "So let's go see this Trailmon line and decide from there."

"Are you up for walking?" Kouji asked. "We could wait a while longer."

Laughing, Kouichi stood, testing his legs. "I'll be fine."

Ryuudamon led the way up the mountain at the center of the continent. The forest fell away as the slope steepened, and by the time they left the trees behind, the three moons had risen. Kouichi smiled as he gazed up at them, having forgotten how stunning the digital night sky was. It was a huge improvement over the shadow-less forest they'd spent the day in.

They found Franken waiting for them at the top of the mountain, and the Trailmon yawned as they approached. "Why do I gotta carry youse around in the middle of the night, huh?"

"Oh, stop complaining," Bokomon snapped. "You ought to be honored that you get to carry around the Legendary Warriors!"

"Yeah, yeah. Jus' tell me which way youse is goin'."

"What do you mean which way?" Takuya asked. "I thought there was only one line."

"Well, yeah, there _was_ one. Now there's two. You wanna go west to the Continent of Earth or south to the Continent of Ice? And don't take all day about it!"

Tommy brightened at the mention of ice, but his expression darkened as he glanced west. "Do you know where the other Legendary Warriors went?"

"Not a clue. I jus' got pulled for this route yesterday. Now you wanna ride or no?"

Tommy turned to Takuya. "I say we should head for the Continent of Ice. We've got a fifty-fifty chance that the new guys went there, and an even better chance of finding more of our Spirits."

Zoe shrugged. "Works for me."

"Me too," JP agreed.

Kouji glanced to Kouichi, who nodded. "No arguments here," Kouji said.

"It's decided then!" Takuya cheered, climbing into the Trailmon car. "Take us to the Continent of Ice!"

"Yeah, yeah. Jus' get on and shut up."

Takuya's expression soured, and Kouichi had to laugh as he climbed aboard, patting the gogglehead's shoulder as he passed. The others followed, until only Ryuudamon remained outside the Trailmon. The Rookie glanced around the deserted boarding platform, then bowed to the Warriors.

"I thank you for your assistance," he murmured, then hesitated.

"Do you want to come with us?" Kouichi asked, and the digimon glanced up in surprise.

"I wouldn't be too much of a burden?"

"Of course not," Kouji assured him, taking a seat next to his brother. "Besides, you wanted to thank the Warrior of Steel, didn't you? How else are you going to find him if you don't come with us?"

A smile tugged at Ryuudamon's lips, and he bowed once more, more deeply this time. "I am in your debt." He boarded the train and settled onto an empty bench as Franken pulled away from the Continent of Light.

**Next time: "The Slumbering Beast" – Taura and Kado find help for Jomei in a remote forest village, but the Flock have plans of their own. With Nao MIA and Jomei down for the count, our heroes have one tough battle ahead of them!**


	13. The Slumbering Beast

**Last time: Takuya and Kouji obtained their Beast Spirits and the gang set out for the Continent of Ice, with a new addition to the group – Ryuudamon, who wishes to find the Warrior of Steel and thank him for sparing his life. Meanwhile, Nao found his own Beast Spirit and went on a rampage, wounding both Taura and Jomei. He ran off, but the others didn't have time to chase him and instead have gone in search of a healer.**

**Chapter 13: The Slumbering Beast**

_More often than not, a hero's most epic battle is the one you never see; it's the battle that goes on within him or herself.  
-Kevin Smith_

Taura was the only one awake in the room. They had pressed on late into the night to find a forest village, hoping the seclusion would keep the Flock from finding them before they had recovered. A Shamanmon had offered his services as healer, even going so far as to open his home to the group. Kado had fallen asleep while they were waiting for Shamanmon to finish treating Jomei, leaving Taura with only Tapirmon for company.

Tapirmon had tried to make small talk, at first, but quickly realized that Taura was in no mood to chat and they spent the next hour in silence. Then Shamanmon had emerged from the back room and assured them that Jomei would make a full recovery, given a few days of rest, and Taura had gone to sit with him, hoping he would wake up soon.

Another hour had passed, and Tapirmon had suggested that Taura get some rest, promising to wake her if Jomei stirred. But try as she might, Taura couldn't fall asleep, so eventually she got up and told Tapirmon to sleep while she sorted through the day's events.

To be honest, she hadn't done all that much thinking in the hours since then. Every time she started, she found herself hating Nao for what he had done to Jomei, despite the part of her that kept reminding herself that he wasn't to blame. Jomei had nearly done the same thing. In all likelihood, Taura herself would face the same struggle. Losing control didn't make Nao a bad person. Before long, head aching, she gave up and sat staring at Jomei's face in the candlelight.

_Is this what it means to be a digidestined? _she wondered. _How many times am I going to watch my friends get hurt?_

As dawn approached, Taura's mind finally drifted toward sleep and she laid her head on the bed near Jomei's hand and let her eyes fall closed. Where was Nao now, she wondered distantly, too tired now for anger or blame. Instead, she felt only curiosity and perhaps a bit of drowsy concern. Had his night been as restless as hers? If she'd been more awake, she might have been surprised at her last conscious thought: _I hope he's all right._

-.-.-.-

Though Kado wasn't very hungry, he ate the breakfast Shamanmon provided for the companions, and when he finished, he took some food to Taura, who refused to leave Jomei's side until he awoke. She accepted the food wordlessly, setting it on the bedside table without touching it. Sighing, Kado returned to the other room and dropped into a chair near Tapirmon.

"How is he faring?" Tapirmon asked.

Kado shrugged. "Still sleeping. Are you sure he's going to be alright, Shamanmon?"

"Positive. He has some bruises, and he should take it easy for a while, but I don't see anything too serious."

"Any idea when he'll regain consciousness?" Tapirmon asked.

"Today or tomorrow, I should think."

A scream from outside brought the conversation to an end, and Kado rushed to the front door to see what was the matter.

As he emerged onto the street, he stumbled to a stop and cowered back into the doorway of Shamanmon's home. A hulking figure two blocks away fired the cannon on its left arm into a nearby building, which shuddered for a moment before collapsing, amid the panicked wails of the villagers. The digimon, a brown, bipedal creature with a bull's head and gold ring hanging from his nose, roared in triumph and continued on to the next building.

Kado's D-Tector beeped, and the boy glanced down to find a picture of the beast – Minotaurmon – on the screen.

"What's going on?" Taura cried from behind him. Taking one last glance at the approaching figure, Kado turned to find three people gathered around him. Taura craned her neck in an attempt to see around him, but apparently she couldn't see much, for she huffed and repeated her question: "What's happening out there?"

"The village is under attack," Kado said, holding up his D-Tector for Taura to see.

"We have to stop him," Taura said, reaching for her own D-Tector. "Execute!"

"Wait!" Kado grabbed her wrist before she could evolve, though her glare made him back off hastily. "You should stay here."

"_What_?"

"Kado," Tapirmon murmured, edging away from the livid girl. "Are you entirely certain that is the wisest course of action?"

The boy hesitated for a moment, but at length he nodded. "It says he's a Champion, so I should be able to handle him on my own. And anyway, someone has to make sure Jomei doesn't get hurt."

The anger in Taura's eyes vanished and she glanced over her shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"Minotarumon just brought down a building so fast Godzilla would be jealous. I'll do my best to lead him away from town, but we shouldn't risk this building collapsing on top of Jomei."

Tapirmon nodded. "That would indeed be unfortunate."

"Unfortunate?" Taura grumbled, tearing her eyes away from Jomei's room. "I think it would be a bit more than 'unfortunate.'"

The Rookie chuckled, backing away, but Kado ignored him and continued. "Besides, I only saw one Minotarumon out there, but what if more show up?"

"Are you sure?" Taura asked, voice dropping low. "It could be dangerous."

Kado grinned and flashed her a thumbs-up. "I'll be fine! What kind of a hero would I be if I couldn't handle one measly Champion?"

"Well…alright. Be careful."

Nodding, the boy charged out into the street, which was now nearly deserted and silent except for the occasional explosion, courtesy of Minotarumon's cannon. The digimon was close enough by now that Kado could hear him calling out "Demon Arm" with each attack, but he seemed to have not yet noticed the boy standing less than a block away.

"Execute: Spirit Evolution! Arbormon! Tree Cannon!"

The pair of projectiles exploding against his chest finally caught the digimon's attention, and after staring dumbly at the Warrior for a few seconds, he abandoned his assault on the village and charged toward Arbormon, cannon drawn back in preparation for another attack. Before he could release the attack, however, Arbormon leaped aside and darted past him.

It took Minotarumon a moment to stop his charge and whirl around, and Arbormon took the opportunity to clamber over the wreckage of a collapsed building and take off down the next street. More quickly than he would have liked, Arbormon heard Minotarumon resume his pursuit, and the Warrior of Wood turned onto another street just as a Demon Arm sailed past him and exploded against an abandoned fruit cart.

_I have to get away from the village before he completely levels it! _Arbormon thought, stumbling around another corner and knocking over a stack of crates piled against the wall of what looked to be a restaurant.

Though it wasn't possible to simply pick a direction and run, thanks to the near-constant barrage of Demon Arms that assailed him if he lingered on any one street for too long, Arbormon made sure not to double back. It was only a matter of time before he reached the edge of the village.

Unfortunately, Kado had been falling asleep on his feet by the time the group had arrived in the village the night before, and so he had forgotten two important details about this village. First, though it had been a tiny settlement at the time of its founding and thus been named Willow Village, its population had exploded in recent years. In short, the village was several times larger than Arbormon had expected and by the time he reached the edge, he was nearing exhaustion.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, Arbormon had completely forgotten about the thirty-foot wall that surrounded Willow Village.

And thus, as he rounded the final corner and spotted the looming barrier, Arbormon stumbled to a halt and groaned. "You've gotta be kidding me!"

"Demon Arm!"

By this time, Minotarumon was so close and Arbormon so exhausted that he was unable to dodge the blast. It collided with his midsection, propelling him through the wall and twenty feet into the forest beyond.

Staggering to his feet, Arbormon shook his head and quickly checked for injuries – nothing serious, it seemed. "Well, I guess that's one way to get out of the village. Now it's time to end this. Cedar Snare!"

Minotarumon roared as roots erupted from the ground all around him, holding him in place. "So, the cowardly Warrior's had enough of running, huh?"

"I wasn't running!" Arbormon protested. "Well…I guess I was, but I'm not a coward!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Dark Side Quake!" Pressing the tip of his cannon against the ground, Minotarumon released a blast that shook the ground, knocking Arbormon off his feet and uprooting the plants that had him trapped. "Demon Arm!"

Raising his arms, Arbormon braced himself for an impact that never came. He risked looking and found Minotarumon standing there, picking a length of root off his shoulder, cannon pointed skyward. A trail of smoke led upward, and the explosion echoed over the village. The Warrior stared in silence for several seconds, confused, but the digimon chuckled.

"I'll admit, you got farther than I thought you would. That should give you…oh, maybe two minutes."

"Two minutes until what?" Arbormon asked, forcing himself to stand despite the protest of his aching muscles.

"Until my partner gets here, of course. Demon Arm!"

Throwing himself behind a tree, Arbormon managed to avoid the blast, but couldn't resist asking, "You have a partner?"

"Ha! What a joke. You think I'd take on the Legendary Warriors alone? I'm not that stupid, kid. But how's this? You tell me where your friends are hiding and me and my partner'll go easy on you."

Another Demon Arm exploded against the tree trunk, and the force behind it left the wood groaning. Arbormon ran behind another tree just as the first one toppled, tearing open a hole in the forest canopy. "My friends?"

"The other Legendary Warriors, of course. There are four of you, aren't there?"

"We got split up," Arbormon said. It was true, after all. When the next attack came, he jumped out from behind the tree and let loose a Tree Cannon for good measure. The projectiles connected and left Minotarumon reeling. "But I'm strong enough to beat you on my own."

Clutching his side, Minotarumon retreated behind a tree, but his laughs rang out. "I know you are. But I wonder, are you strong enough to beat Yatagaramon?"

"Who?"

"Mikafutsu no Kami!"

A burst of purple energy split the air in front of Arbormon, leaving a smoldering crater at his feet. Stumbling back, he scanned the trees for the digimon responsible and caught sight of a black, three-legged bird barreling down on him. Before he could react, he found himself gripped by all three claws and pinned to the ground. Four green eyes peered down at him from a bronze mask, but they soon turned to scan the surrounding trees.

"Only one, Minotarumon?" he asked, flexing his jet black wings. Arbormon couldn't tear his eyes away from the bronze, claw-like apparatus affixed to each wing.

"He won't tell me where his friends are," Minotarumon protested. "I tried, but you know I'm no match for a Legendary Warrior."

"Too true," the bird sighed. "Frankly, I can't see why Lady Egalamon keeps you around."

_Egalamon! These guys work for the Flock? _As much as Arbormon wanted to find out what was happening, he knew he had to get Yatagaramon off him first. At the moment, he wasn't paying much attention to the Warrior, so Arbormon took the opportunity. "Tree Cannon!"

At such a short range, Yatagaramon couldn't avoid the blast, and the force of it tossed him backwards into Minotarumon. While the two struggled to untangle themselves, Arbormon stood and reached for his D-Tector, which as expected already displayed Yatagaramon's image and data. What he read didn't bode well for the outcome of the battle: Yatagaramon was an Ultimate level digimon, only the second the Warriors had yet faced. And considering the other had been Jaymon, Arbormon knew he didn't stand a chance without a Beast Spirit.

"So the rumors are true," Yatagaramon mused, lifting into the air and hovering a few feet away from his partner. "I take it that is one of the famed digivices? If so, I'm sure you know you don't stand a chance. So what's your answer? Will you tell me where the other humans are, or do I have to beat it out of you?"

Arbormon forced himself to stand his ground, glad his armor made his expression unreadable. One way or another, this wasn't going to end well for him, but at least he could protect Taura and Jomei. "I already told Minotarumon. We got split up. I don't know where the others are."

Sighing, Yatagaramon shook his head. "I guess I have no choice, then. Mikafutsu no Kami!"

As Arbormon dodged the blast, Minotarumon unleashed a Demon Arm that exploded in the Warrior's face. Stumbling back, he tried to focus on the two digimon. Minotarumon, the weaker of the two, wouldn't be difficult to get rid of, but Arbormon doubted Yatagaramon would give him a chance to finish the Champion. Though if he was going to lose anyway, he might as well take care of one of them.

"Tree Cannon!"

"Demon Arm!"

The two attacks cancelled each other out, the resultant explosion uprooting several surrounding trees. Yatagaramon, forced to fly higher to avoid taking damage, flared his wings and the devices mounted there began to glow, along with the talons on his third leg.

"Mikafutsu no Kami!" he cried, releasing not one but ten energy blasts in quick succession from his talons. Fleeing from tree to tree, Arbormon managed to avoid taking a direct hit, but when the attack subsided, he found himself standing at the edge of a broad new clearing littered with fallen trees. The trees hit by Yatagaramon's attack had vanished entirely, reduced to pure data.

"Cedar Snare!" Arbormon cried, not about to give up. He put a little extra 'oomph' into the attack, so nearly twice as many roots as normal sprang up to trap Minotarumon. Hoping it would hold the Champion for at least a few seconds, Arbormon charged a second attack. "Tree Cannon!"

"Demon Arm! Yatagaramon, help!"

"Mikafutsu no Kami!" The attack collided with Arbormon's projectiles, erasing them without even the smallest explosion. Groaning, Arbormon tried again.

"Redwood Crush!" Rather than waste energy conjuring a new tree, the Warrior uprooted a nearby Oak and swung it at the two digimon on the other side of the clearing. Yatagaramon tried to rise above the tree, but couldn't ascend fast enough to avoid a glancing blow to his third leg, which sent him tumbling to the ground. Minotarumon had a worse time of it, taking the brunt of the impact due to the Cedar Snare that still hindered his movement. He careened some distance away, disappearing into the underbrush.

Yatagaramon screeched and soared skyward. "You put up a good fight, Warrior, but it's time to end this. Haguro!" His wings began to glow with a dark energy and with a cry he released it all at once. Within seconds, Arbormon found himself in total darkness, unable to see even a few feet in front of him.

"Well, human?" Yatagaramon's voice rang out from the darkness, echoing too much for Arbormon to pinpoint its origin. "Do you still wish to fight? You who rely on sight – you are utterly helpless in my darkness?"

Arbormon scowled, straining his eyes for any signs of movement. "What good does this do you? You can't see me either!"

"I don't have to," he hissed. In a rush of air, he descended on Arbormon, knocking him to the ground and gripping him with two of his three legs. "I am used to fighting in darkness. I can locate my target by sound alone. And now that I have you in my talons, there is no escape. But I will give you one more chance. Tell me where your companions are."

"Tree Cannon!" Arbormon cried, hoping Yatagaramon was bending over him as he had been before.

But the projectiles exploded far overhead, and Yatagaramon chuckled. "Predictable. Mikafutsu no Kami!"

The Ultimate drove his glowing claw into Arbormon's midsection, eliciting a cry of agony from the Warrior, who thrashed against the talons holding him. But Yatagaramon did not relent and the searing pain intensified until he could no longer hold his evolution. As he reverted to his human form, Yatagaramon ceased his attack. "Do you understand now what I am capable of? Egalamon cares only for the Warrior of Earth. I am free to kill or spare you as I please. Now tell me where he is or face your end!"

"Yatagaramon? Where are you?" Minotarumon's voice was uncertain, and Kado realized he didn't share Yatagaramon's experience in blind combat. He could hear the other digimon stumbling through the brush and a _thud _as he ran headlong into a tree. Yatagaramon sighed.

"I'm over here."

"Where? I can't see you."

"Never mind. Just stay where you are and I'll find you when I'm done here."

Minotarumon apparently didn't care to follow Yatagaramon's advice, for he continued thrashing blindly through the forest, running once more into a tree and crying out in surprise.

"Imbecile," Yatagaramon murmured. "Pay him no mind. Your answer, human?"

For half a second, Kado wondered whether the digimon would really spare him if he gave up Jomei's location. Then he shook his head. "You can threaten me all you want. I still don't know where he is."

"So be it. Mikafutsu no –" Stopping mid-sentence, Yatagaramon's talons tightened on Kado's arms and, inhaling sharply he cried, "Wait! Minotarumon, stop!"

"What?" Minotarumon asked, voice suddenly very close. With a jolt, Yatagaramon's talons lifted from Kado's arms, and the two digimon landed nearby, Yatagaramon squawking in frustration and Minotarumon mumbling an apology.

Kado didn't wait for them to recover. He was on his feet in an instant, running blindly into the forest, arms outstretched, feeling for any trees in his path. Yatagaramon screeched, and Kado whirled around just as the digimon collided with him, propelling him backwards into a tree trunk. A talon dug into his shoulder, drawing blood, and Kado whimpered, struggling in vain to free himself.

"Enough! Mikafutsu no Kami!" The dim glow of Yatagaramon's talons illuminated the digimon's face, now twisted in rage, and he drew it back, ready to plunge it into Kado's heart. The boy closed his eyes, thoughts turning to his family. They would never know what had happened to him. _Mom…Dad…Kita…I'm sorry…_

But as Yatagaramon thrust forward, Kado felt the bark against his back give way, and he began to fall.

-.-.-.-

A sudden, dazzling light erupted, piercing the inky darkness, and Minotarumon glanced around in confusion. He had walked into Yatagaramon, sending them both to the ground, but then Yatagaramon had flown off, leaving Minotarumon alone once more. Unable to see anything and afraid of running into his partner a second time, he had remained where he was, but with this new light, he was able to make out the forest around him.

Yatagaramon had the human child pinned against a sprawling, gnarled oak tree, but as Minotarumon looked on, the tree began to glow, bark parting around the boy like water. He slipped from Yatagaramon's grasp, disappearing into the tree. Rippling with blue bands of fractal code, the tree writhed and condensed, reforming as an egg-shaped cocoon around the boy.

"What's going on, Yatagaramon?" Minotarumon ventured as the other digimon backed away from the strange sight.

"I…I don't know," Yatagaramon whispered, sounding scared for the first time since Minotarumon had met him.

Before either could say any more, the human's voice roared up from within the fractal code. "Execute! Beast Spirit Evolution!" As the fractal code peeled away, its glow faded, and the darkness of Yatagaramon's Haguro reclaimed the forest. "Kodamamon," the Beast Spirit whispered, voice as slippery as wind rustling through dry leaves.

"Yatagaramon!" Minotarumon cried, leaping to his feet. "I can't see him! He'll kill me! You have to get rid of the darkness! Yatagaramon!"

"I heard you!" the Ultimate snapped. "Let me focus!"

For a few seconds, nothing happened, but then to Minotarumon's relief, the darkness began to recede. He could see a hulking figure a few feet from Yatagaramon, but it wasn't until the first rays of sunshine broke through the Haguro that he was able to make out any details.

At first, Minotarumon thought he had been tricked. The only thing that stood where the boy had been was a tree…but it wasn't the same tree that had been there before. This one was stout, only about ten feet tall and half as wide around the trunk. Its branches spread wide and hung low, heavy with leaves and moss and vines. A handful of violet flowers bloomed along the vines, which swayed gently in a breeze Minotarumon could not feel.

Confused, Minotarumon glanced around him. "Where'd he go?"

"Don't be deceived," Yatagaramon chided. "This is his Beast Spirit."

"That _tree?_"

"He is the Warrior of Wood, is he not? Be on your guard."

Minotarumon stared again, and to his horror found a pair of eyes gazing back at him. The bark parted like eyelids around the eyes, which were made of wood rather than flesh. Where the whites and irises should have been, the sapwood gave the eye a pale yellowish tinge, and the pupils were the deep russet of the heartwood.

Panicking, the bull digimon stumbled back, raising his arm, he stammered, "Demon Arm!" and released a burst of energy, which exploded against the bark, leaving only the faintest scorch marks. "No way! I didn't even hurt him!"

"Fool," Yatagaramon growled. "You could not defeat his Human Spirit. What makes you think you stand a chance against his Beast Spirit?"

"What about you then? You're an Ultimate."

Yatagaramon hesitated, lifting into the air and putting considerable distance between himself and the Beast Spirit. "Mikafutsu no Kami!"

Yatagaramon's attack managed to chip off a piece of bark, but otherwise seemed as ineffective as Minotarumon's. Kodamamon's branches creaked and swayed more swiftly, and his eyes roved the forest. Both digimon drew back, wary of a counterattack, but none came. Over several tense minutes, the Spirit's agitation faded, then his eyes closed and he became as still as every other tree in the forest.

"What's he doing?" Minotarumon asked after another minute had passed.

Yatagaramon shook his head. "I don't know."

"Why isn't he attacking us?"

"I don't _know!_" The avian digimon ventured closer, tapped the Spirit with a talon, then retreated. Still Kodamamon remained still. "It seems he has no interest in fighting us."

"And our attacks don't even faze him," Minotarumon added.

Nodding, Yatagaramon turned to face Willow Village, which was just visible through the trees. "I'm going to look for the other Warriors. Stay here and keep an eye on this one. If he moves, signal me."

"I have to stay here alone?" Minotarumon cried, staring at the Beast Spirit. "If he wakes up, I'm done for!"

"Then stay out of sight. If he tries to flee, follow him. See where he goes. You don't have to fight."

Minotarumon wasn't convinced that this was the safest course of action, but Yatagaramon had already taken off toward the village, and Minotarumon's protests received no response. In the end, he crouched in a thicket some way off and resigned himself to watch the dormant Spirit.

-.-.-.-

Taura told herself not to worry.

Minotarumon might have looked intimidating, but he was just a Champion. And Taura had slept poorly the night before. And she was still sore and stiff after the fight with Arkenmon. And that meant she wouldn't have been much help to Kado even if she _had_ gone. He would be back soon. There was nothing to worry about.

After the explosions faded, Taura had distracted herself by helping Shamanmon tend to Jomei's wounds, which were looking better than they had the day before. Tapirmon remained by the front door, awaiting Kado's return, but he hadn't turned up. Then had come darkness so deep Taura was afraid that if she moved she would fall and hurt herself. She asked Tapirmon what it was, but the Rookie had no idea, although he assured her it couldn't have been Minotarumon.

Oddly, that wasn't as comforting as Tapirmon seemed to think.

The minutes ticked by in silence, and Taura itched to go after Kado, but the darkness kept her rooted in her seat, trying to imagine what could have possibly caused it. Nothing she came up made her feel any better about letting Kado fight Minotarumon alone.

"W-where am I? Is anyone there?"

Taura stiffened as Jomei's voice rang out, terse and anxious. "Jomei!" she cried, standing despite the darkness and trying to remember which way his bed was. "You're awake!"

"Taura!" Jomei blew out a long breath. "That goodness you're here."

Turning toward his voice and inching her way forward, Taura grinned. "What's the matter, Minamoto? Still scared of the dark?"

"W-what? No way!" He sounded flustered, and Taura couldn't help but laugh. Unfortunately, a chair chose that instant to pop up in her path, and she banged her shin on it, yelping in pain and surprise. Now it was Jomei's turn to laugh. "Serves you right."

"What in the Digital World are you two doing?" Tapirmon scolded. "I would have expected a tad more from the Legendary Warriors."

"Tapirmon?" Jomei hesitated, as though waiting for someone to speak. When no one answered him, he continued. "I assume Kado and Naoko are here, too?"

Taura cringed, starting to walk once more – but more carefully this time. "Um…Not exactly."

"Not exactly? Then where, _exactly_, are they?"

"Kado's off fighting a digimon that was terrorizing the village, and Nao…Nao ran off after…you know."

"After he lost control of his Beast Spirit," Tapirmon supplied.

"Thanks, Tapirmon," Jomei said. "I got that."

"Well excuse me for endeavoring to be comprehensible!"

"Whatever," Jomei murmured. He sounded close now. Taura reached out and found the edge of his bed. Her roving fingertips found Jomei's leg, and he pulled it aside so she could sit down. "What's with the darkness?"

"We don't know," Shamanmon said. "But it looks like it's clearing up."

"Really?" Taura asked, glancing around. Sure enough, she could make out the edges of the window, and as she stared, the darkness continued to lessen.

Jomei, who Taura could now see was sitting upright in the bed, frowned. "Who's that?"

"Shamanmon," Taura replied. "He treated your wounds."

"I guess I should thank you, then."

"Don't mention it." Shamanmon smiled and brought Jomei a bowl. "Breakfast?"

Accepting the food silently, Jomei ate quickly, and by the time he finished, the darkness had lifted entirely. Setting the bowl aside, he swung his legs off the bed and tried to stand. Taura knew better than to try to stop him, but she hovered nearby and caught him when he stumbled. With only a little help from her, he managed to make it out of the bedroom, and dropped into an empty chair at the kitchen table.

"Man, he really messed me up, didn't he?"

"Well, your Fractal Code _was _exposed," Tapirmon pointed out, earning a blank stare from both humans. "Don't tell me you don't know about humans' Fractal Code."

Sharing a blank glance with Jomei, Taura shrugged. "Not a clue."

Tapirmon sighed. "Bokomon theorized it was a defense mechanism to protect the fragile human body. When a human suffers severe trauma, the fractal code gets knocked loose, alleviating much of the physical damage the body would otherwise have sustained. Given enough rest, the human can go on to make a rapid recovery. Of course, if malicious digimon like the Flock caught you in such a state, they could easily scan your code and then, well, you'd find yourself quite deceased."

"I didn't realize it was that serious," Taura murmured, stealing a glance at Jomei. He didn't look like someone who had nearly died. Sure, he was in no condition to be fighting again just yet, but he seemed no worse than a soccer player who took a bad dive and had to sit out the rest of the game. But to say he had almost died? Even when the panic was at its worst, Taura had never been quite _that _concerned.

Jomei caught her staring and scowled. "I'm fine. You heard Tapirmon. I've gotten plenty of rest; now all that's left is the 'rapid recovery' part, right?"

"I guess. You sure you're feeling alright?"

Jomei rolled his eyes. "I'm not exactly at one hundred percent, but I'll be fine. We should be more concerned about finding the two idiots who went off alone."

"Kado's not an idiot, Jomei," Taura huffed. The kendo student blinked, and even Taura fell silent at her indignant tone. Where had that come from? She shook her head. "I mean…Yeah, it was pretty dumb to go off on his own, but the digimon he went to fight is only a Champion, and he was worried about another digimon showing up and hurting you while we were gone."

"He was…worried? About _me?_" Jomei asked, staring slack-jawed at her until she squirmed.

"That's what he said, yeah."

Recovering his composure, Jomei crossed his arms and glanced out the window. "Well he should worry about himself. What are the odds –"

"Mikafutsu no Kami!" An explosion rattled the kitchen, throwing the two digimon to the ground and nearly knocking Jomei out of his chair. Taura managed to catch herself on the table and sprinted toward the window, peeking out to see who was attacking.

"This is bad," Tapirmon whispered, joining Taura. "That's Yatagaramon! He's an Ultimate, which means –"

Taura clutched her D-Tector, shaking her head. "I know what it means."

"You can't fight him on your own," Jomei pointed out, standing. "I'll come too."

"No way! You're in no condition to fight!"

The digimon outside screeched loud enough to rattle the dishes. "Warrior of Earth! Come out and face me!"

"See?" Jomei hissed, face pale and pinched. "I don't exactly have a choice."

Taura planted herself between Jomei and the door. "Says who? I can distract him for a while, long enough for Kado to get back from fighting Minotarumon. The two of us together might be able to handle him."

"Yeah, right! Jaymon was an Ultimate, too, remember? The four of us together couldn't beat him with just Human Spirits! Only a Beast Spirit is strong enough."

"If you think I'm going to let you fight so soon after what happened yesterday, you obviously don't know me very well."

"And if you think I'm going to let you stop me, you obviously don't know _me,_" Jomei retorted as both children raised their D-Tectors. "Execute!"

Drawing on all her soccer and kendo skills, Taura kicked the device from Jomei's hand, forcing him to chase it across the room. The distraction gave Taura enough time to Spirit Evolve herself, and once the transformation was complete Ranamon darted out the front door. Finding a piece of rubble as large as Taura herself, the Warrior wedged it against the door and turned to face Yatagaramon. The blockade wouldn't last long, but Ranamon didn't plan on sticking around long enough for Jomei to join the fight.

"Dousing Torrent!" she cried, flinging a disk of water at the hovering digimon.

Yatagaramon dodged easily and aimed his third leg at her. "Mikafutsu no Kami!"

Leaping straight up, Ranamon summoned a Vapor Trident and hurtled it at Yatagaramon. It clipped his wing, and he let out a cry more of rage than pain, diving down on the Warrior, who leaped aside and led him around several corners. She ran not caring where her feet took her, so long as it was away from Jomei. She didn't care what he said; once Kado got back, she would be just fine.

"Mikafutsu no Kami!"

Just as long as he got there soon.

-.-.-.-

He wanted to sleep.

It was ridiculous to want to sleep in the middle of the battle, or so the boy claimed. When he had first evolved, the boy had tried to rouse the Spirit to action, but Kodamamon didn't see any pressing need to rouse himself. Why should he? The annoying gnats and their energy attacks couldn't harm him through his bark. If the weak one thought to use his earthquake attack, he might have succeeded in disturbing Kodamamon's roots and spurring him to attack, but the Champion wasn't smart enough to try. At any rate, they had realized they couldn't harm him and gone on their way.

Or, at the very least, the bird had gone. The beast remained in the forest, lurking nearby, foolishly thinking Kodamamon couldn't sense him. He had, wisely, refrained from any kind of mischief that would have incited Kodamamon's wrath, but the Spirit was too distracted by his intrusive presence to settle into the slumber he so desired.

Minotarumon wasn't the only songbird squawking in his branches, either. That human boy was whining about something from the depths of Kodamamon's heartwood. He had done his best to ignore it, but the child didn't know how to take a hint. Honestly! Kodamamon had spent the last twenty-odd years trapped inside a sapling of a tree, unable to taste the earth or soak in the sun's rays, and he just wanted to relax. How would that child feel if he'd been locked up in some dank prison for twenty years? He'd want a good meal and a little peace, too, wouldn't he?

But the kid just kept on whining, so Kodamamon finally relented and roused himself from his slumber.

_What is it? _the Spirit demanded. He must have startled the runt, for the yammering suddenly stopped. _Well? Get on with it or let me sleep in peace!_

The boy hesitated a moment longer, but Kodamamon could feel him winding up to say something, so he waited. _Yatagaramon,_ the boy managed at last.

_What about him? He's long gone._

_He's going after my friends! We have to go after him!_

_Your fellows? _Kodamamon flexed his roots, reaching out to the surrounding trees for information. _Where they? I don't sense Yatagarmon in this forest._

_They aren't in the forest! They're in the village._

_The village? I didn't know there were any trees in that village._

For a several seconds, the runt was silent, and Kodamamon dared to hope he was done whining. No such luck. _My friends aren't trees! They're the other Warriors!_

_So they're human?_

_Of course they're human! What do you think I am?_

Kodamamon thought about that for a moment. _If they're Legendary Warriors, they must have Spirits of their own._

_Well…yeah, but…_

_Then they can defend themselves against Yatagaramon._

_But Jomei's hurt! And – and Taura doesn't have a Beast Spirit! _The boy's anger made Kodamamon's branches tremble. _They need our help!_

_My duty is to the forest, _Kodamamon informed him, quelling the emotions the boy had stirred up. _Not to your inconsiderate species._

_Inconsiderate? What are you talking about?_

_Did you not uproot my fellows in your battle just now?_ Kodamamon could still feel the agony of their deaths. _I protect the trees. If they are not in danger, there is no need for me to act._

_But…that's not fair! You're supposed to protect the Digital World! You can't just sit here!_

This was getting tiresome. _Boy. Show me a threat to the Digital World and I will act. Thus far, you have only expressed concern for your fellows._

_The Flock is a threat!_

_The Flock? _Accessing the boy's memories, Kodamamon considered this. _I suppose I _will_ have to deal with them. Very well. Where can this 'Flock' be found? _The boy remained silent. _Human. Tell me where I can find these tyrants. Now!_

_I…don't know._

Kodamamon let this sink in, then reached out to the trees around him. _Very well. I shall ask the forest to listen. My fellows will gather information. Until they discover something, I ask you to leave me in peace. _That said, the Spirit settled back in, letting the loamy aroma of forest soil lull him into deeper slumber, only to hear the human's grating voice once more.

_Wait!_

_What is it _now_?_

_Minotarumon works for the Flock!_

_That oaf trampling those poor ferns over there? _Kodamamon could sense him quite clearly – had been able to sense him for the past several minutes – but he opened his eyes anyway. He could just make out a pair of black horns poking out from some underbrush less than a tree-length away. _Then I will take care of him. _"Rootlet Ambush," he murmured aloud, urging his roots through the soil to where Minotarumon crouched.

A hundred root tips burst into open air, impaling the hapless digimon and reducing him to fractal code, which Kodamamon absorbed through his roots. The data had a bitter taste to it, but he supposed if he had let it alone, it could only have poisoned some other unfortunate tree.

_Satisfied? _Not waiting for an answer, Kodamamon pushed the human's consciousness deeper into his being, past the heartwood to the pith itself. Surely there his nagging would be muffled enough to allow Kodamamon a few weeks of slumber.

But this munchkin was nothing if not persistent, and though faint, his buzzing pierced Kodamamon's consciousness.

_Yatagaramon works for the Flock, too, you know! And how do you know you'll be able to beat the Flock alone? Jomei barely managed to beat Jaymon, and he's supposedly the weakest of the bunch! How can you save the Digital World if you let your friends die?_

_Why are you so concerned for those humans?_

_They're my friends. Why else?_

_You used that word before. What do you mean by 'your friends'?_

The boy didn't answer for a moment, and Kodamamon could tell he was searching for the right words. _A friend, _he began at last, then paused again. _Well, jeez. I don't know how to explain it. A friend is someone you help out when they're in trouble. Someone you don't want to see hurt._

_And this 'Jomei…' He is a friend of yours?_

…_Yeah. Why?_

_I do not sense an abundance of affection in your memories of him. And if what you tell me is accurate, it seems he does not consider you a friend. He has never aided you when you were in trouble. He seems not to even notice when you are hurt, or if he does, he does not care to remedy the situation. Why should you give him what he does not offer in return?_

_That doesn't matter! They need help, and this is something I can actually do! I can't just sit here knowing they're in danger!_

Astonished by the boy's indignation, Kodamamon again accessed the human memories, sifting through them in hopes of understanding this absurd loyalty, but came up with nothing more than he already knew. _I'm afraid I will never understand you humans._

_You don't have to understand us! You just have to _move_!_

Kodamamon was at first taken aback by the blatant order coming from such a fragile, short-lived creature, but amusement soon took the place of shock. This boy – _Kado, _Kodamamon reminded himself – was quite different than anyone he had known in his long life. He would keep things interesting.

_Very well, _the Spirit sighed, shaking off his drowsiness. _I will try things your way._

_Really? That's great!_

_But first… _"Guardian of the Forest." Gathering his and Kado's consciousnesses together, Kodamamon separated himself from his woody vessel. He did not often take this form, for though it was more agile, it was vulnerable without the protection of wood and bark. He would have to be careful.

_Woah, _Kado gasped. _What happened?_

_This is my true form, _Kodamamon explained. _I am a tree spirit, not an actual tree, although I prefer to stay where it's safe._

_This is so cool!_

Sighing, Kodamamon willed himself forward. _Yes, yes. Just make sure you pay attention. This takes more concentration than you might think. I'll help you out in this battle, but when we're through I'm taking a nice long nap. I suppose I can't stop you from using my power, but don't expect me to help you out like this again._

_Yes, sir! But, uh…why does it take so much concentration?_

_You're a spirit now, human. The only thing keeping your consciousness from flying off in all directions is this shimenawa. _He would have gestured to the rope tied around his midsection and the four seals it bore, but at the moment he didn't have arms. Taking a moment to rearrange himself, he did his best to give himself a humanoid appearance. It was a rough semblance, he had to admit, with appendages that looked rather more like roots and branches than legs and arms, but he managed to at least fashion a mouth and two eyes. He doubted a mere human would be able to function otherwise.

_This will have to do for now. You can fiddle around with it later._

_Right. Now after Yatagaramon!_

-.-.-.-

"Mikafutsu no Kami!"

Ranamon was sure this was the hundredth time she'd dodged the same attack, and it was beginning to wear her down. Leaping behind a door that had been left ajar saved Ranamon from injury this time, but she had not been so lucky previously. Her left arm hung limp at her side, and a glancing blow to her leg made running painful.

Nevertheless, she refused to give up. "Dousing Torrent!"

Cackling, Yatagaramon dodged easily and fluttered closer. "Getting tired, little froggy?"

"Froggy?" Ranamon shrieked, jabbing her finger at the Ultimate. "Who are you calling froggy, you old crow? Aqualine Metamorphosis!"

Yatagaramon sighed and shook his head. "How predictable. Mikafutsu no Kami." Ranamon realized too late what she had done, and as she reformed from her transformation, she all but impaled herself on Yatagaramon's third leg. This new assault was simply too much for her battered body and she devolved.

"Taura!" Grumblemon cried, appearing around a nearby corner. Somehow he managed to reach her in time to break her fall, though he grunted louder than she did at the impact. "Are you alright?"

"Fine. What are you doing here?"

"Saving your butt, it looks like." He grinned, but Taura could see the strain around his eyes.

"You're in no condition to fight," she protested. Realizing that she was still sitting on top of him, she scrambled to her feet and helped Grumblemon up.

"Neither are you," the Warrior of Earth pointed out. "Kado isn't back yet, I take it?"

Taura shook her head. "I'm starting to get worried."

"Worry about yourself first," Yatagaramon advised, perching on a nearby rooftop. "I see you've decided to join us, Warrior of Earth. You don't look so good. You sure you're up for a fight?"

"What do you want with me?" Grumblemon demanded, summoning a hammer. Taura wondered if he was planning on actually using it or if it was just to make himself look more formidable.

"Me?" Yatagaramon asked. "I don't want anything to do with you. It's Lord Raptormon and Lady Egalamon who have a bone to pick with you. See, we hear you deleted Lord Jaymon, and the Flock doesn't take kindly to murderers."

Taura gripped Grumblemon's arm. "We have to get out of here."

"There is some good news, however," Yatagaramon continued, leaping from the rooftop and landing on the ground in front of the two Warriors. "From the looks of you, you won't last long in a fight. And if you insist on provoking me, well…I can't help if this little froggy gets caught in the cross fire."

"Stop calling me that!"

The Ultimate ignored her. "Alternatively, you could surrender yourself and come peacefully. You see, the _only _one the Flock cares about is the Warrior of Earth."

Grumblemon stiffened, but to Taura's horror, he looked like he was actually contemplating it. "Jomei!" she hissed. "Don't listen to him!"

Yatagaramon chuckled. "You're beginning to sound like your little wooden friend, my dear froggy."

"Kado?" Taura gasped. "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing he couldn't have avoided if he'd just told me where you were hiding. Now, Warrior of Earth –"

"Fertile Fist!" The attack caught Yatagaramon off guard and he soon found himself buried under a mountain of dirt, staring up at Grumblemon, who hefted his hammer over his head. "Bureiku!"

"Mikafutsu no Kami!"

The attack tossed Jomei aside before he could complete his own attack, and Taura rushed to where he landed. For a moment, he made an effort stand, but his legs gave out and he fell to his knees, gasping for breath. A few seconds later, he devolved.

"Finally, this ridiculous battle is over," Yatagaramon sighed, gliding forward, talons outstretched and ready to pluck Jomei from Taura's arms.

"No!" she cried, jumping in front of Jomei. She flung her arms wide and glowered at Yatagaramon. "I won't let you take him!"

"Taura, get out of the way!" Jomei growled, grabbing her by the wrist.

Taura refused to budge. "No, Jomei. I'm not just going to sit by and let him have his way!"

"Foolish girl," Yatagaramon cried, charging up another attack. "Mikafutsu no Kami!"

"Shimenawa: Aki."

Taura gasped as orbs of energy, ranging in color from deep brown to flame red, bubbled up from the ground. Two of these orbs converged on Yatagaramon's attack, enveloping it and shrinking to a pinprick of light before vanishing altogether.

Everyone present whirled to face the newcomer, an ill-formed humanoid figure wearing nothing but a rope belt, from which hung four seals. The one on the creature's right glowed red until the orbs stopped rising from the ground. Other than the belt, the creature was nearly transparent, and Taura could barely make out what passed for a face – a pair of large, hollow eye sockets and a gaping mouth.

"What is that thing?" she whispered. Jomei already had his D-Tector out, but he shook his head.

"All it says is that it's called Kodamamon. Every other field is blank."

"I hope it's friendly…"

Yatagaramon didn't waste time figuring out whose side the newcomer was on, but instead launched a Mikafutsu no Kami, which the digimon dodged. Screeching in frustration, Yatagaramon launched himself at Kodamamon, apparently intending to headbutt the digimon into submission…But his charge passed straight through the ghostly figure and he ran headfirst into the building behind him.

Kodamamon let out a sigh and twisted his head around to stare at the Ultimate. "Shimenawa," he breathed, though his mouth didn't seem to move. "Natsu." As the seal hanging from the front of Kodamamon's rope belt glowed green, a whirlwind of luminous jade leaves descended on Yatagaramon, battering every inch of exposed flesh.

When the leaves faded, all that remained was a silhouette and a ring of fractal code. Kodamamon stretched out an arm and absorbed the code, watching in silence as the digiegg floated skyward. After it disappeared, Kodamamon continued to stare after it while Taura met Jomei's eyes, unsure what to do. Jomei didn't seem to have any ideas either, and as he struggled to his feet, Kodamamon turned and stared down at them.

Laughing nervously, Taura grabbed Jomei's arm and began to back away. "Um…hello. Thanks…Y'know, for saving us and everything…"

"Who are you?" Jomei demanded, obviously not as intimidated as Taura. She might have been impressed, except for the fact that they were totally defenseless and making the big strong ghost mad at them seemed to her a very bad idea.

Kodamamon stared at them a while longer, the foreignness of his features making it impossible to read his expression. He blinked a few times, tilted his head to the side, and then…yawned? Taura couldn't believe it, but the digimon actually _yawned_, stretching his arms above his head. Then fractal code wrapped around him, and Kado dropped to the ground, landing hard on his backside.

"_Kado_?" Taura cried, hurrying to his side. "That was _you_? How did…What was…"

"His Beast Spirit," Jomei said, joining them as Kado rubbed his eyes and smiled at them.

"Hey, guys," he yawned. After blinking a few more times, he shot upright. "Jomei!"

Smiling, Taura turned to her best friend, who was scowling. She frowned at him, then turned back to Kado with a smile. "He woke up a little while after you left. I _tried _to keep him from fighting, but he insisted." She laughed, but Kado's eyes were on Jomei.

"What's wrong?" the young boy asked.

Jomei shook his head. "How come you had such an easy time with your Beast Spirit?"

"Easy!" Pouting, Kado crossed his arms. "Just because I didn't attack you doesn't mean I didn't lose control, you know! I spent the last half hour trying to keep Kodamamon from taking a twenty-year nap in the forest! He didn't even want to come after Yatagarmon!"

"I guess every Beast Spirit is different," Taura said. "But I'm glad you managed to control it. We would have been goners if you didn't show up when you did."

"Yeah, I guess," Jomei said dismissively, but a smile tugged at his lips, and Kado returned it whole-heartedly. With a huff, Jomei turned hastily away and strode off in the direction of Shamanmon's house.

"Where are you going?" Taura demanded, helping Kado to his feet.

"To find Tapirmon, where else? We can't exactly leave him behind."

"Leave him?" Kado asked. "Where are we going?"

Jomei stopped walking and turned to frown at them. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Maybe to you," Taura grumbled. "Mind filling the rest of us in?"

Rolling his eyes, Jomei sighed. "We're going after Naoko, of course."

"Seriously?" Kado asked, grinning.

Taura shook her head. "You still wanna go after him after he almost killed you?"

"When something happens twice, it's a coincidence," Jomei said, leading the other two down the street. "When it happens three times, it's a pattern."

"Meaning…?"

"You're really slow today, Taura." Jomei laughed as Taura punched his arm. "_Meaning_, Kado, Naoko, and I all had issues with our Beast Spirits. Any one of use could have gotten someone else killed. We can't exactly blame him for doing something we narrowly avoided."

There was a moment of silence, then Kado let out a jubilant whoop and sprinted ahead, calling for Tapirmon. Laughing, Jomei followed, leaving Taura behind, speechless. To hear Jomei, of all people, say something like that about his cousin…It sounded like something Kado would say. Maybe it was just that she didn't understand what it was like to have a Beast Spirit, but Taura couldn't so easily dismiss what Nao had done. His mistake hadn't been a simple loss of control – it had been personal. Surely he could have done _something _to stop himself.

It _was _possible to control a Beast Spirit from the start; Taura was sure of it. And when she found her Beast Spirit, she would prove it. She only hoped she would get her chance soon.

**Next time: "A Bird in the Hand…" – The Legendary Warriors set out in search of Nao, but what if he doesn't want to be found? And don't expect the Flock to stay out of the mix for long!**

**A/N: I have to say, this is probably my favorite chapter so far. I'm not quite sure why, but I had a blast writing it. (Which would be why it's so long...sorry!) Plus, I think I like Kodamamon best out of my original digimon (although Taura's Beast Spirit is pretty high, too), so that helped. Speaking of which...  
**

**Trivia time! Kodamamon is inspired by **_**kodama **_**(Japanese tree spirits). **_**Shimenawa**_** are ropes used to identify trees inhabited by kodama, which can't be cut down without risking retribution. Kodamamon's Shimenawa attack has four variations: Hara (Spring), Natsu (Summer), Aki (Autumn), and Fuyu (winter).**

**Oh, and the next chapter is probably going to be a week late. I've got Spring Break coming up, and I won't have computer access for the week. But the next chapter should be up before the end of the month.  
**


	14. A Bird in the Hand

**Last time…The Legendary Warriors sought help in Willow Village, where a Shamanmon treated Jomei's wounds. When the town was attacked by a Minotarumon, Kado went to fight him, but found himself in over his head when Yatagaramon joined the fight. Luckily, Kado found his Beast Spirit and Kodamamon was able to save the day. Now they're off to find Nao!**

**Chapter 14: A Bird in the Hand…**

_A beast does not know that he is a beast, and the nearer a man gets to being a beast, the less he knows it.  
-George MacDonald_

_He found himself alone, wandering through a city of steel, flinching away from his reflection. Everywhere he looked, he found his own haunted eyes, underscored by the same violet darkness that filled the sky above him._

_Unable to face himself any longer, he bowed his head, only to find that the road upon which he walked was made of the same mirrored surface as everything else. The face gazing up at him was weary and dirt-streaked, the black hair disheveled and falling into his eyes. He looked like he had come through a battlefield, and he had to admit that felt about right. He was nearing exhaustion, both physically and emotionally, but he couldn't find any injuries. What had happened to him?_

_Suddenly, he was halfway across the city, watching a girl and another boy walking side-by-side down his street. The boy, who had the same black hair as the watcher, kept his eyes on the looming mirrors, while the girl, a brunette, gazed straight ahead._

_The watcher stepped out onto the street behind the pair, but the other boy did not appear to notice him. In all the reflections, it was just the two of them, boy and girl, best friends – hundreds of identical images, and in the midst of it all, one lonely Watcher. He spared only a fleeting glance for these specters, caring only for the real pair, and he drew nearer. Hand outstretched, he came close enough to touch the other boy._

_The boy whirled around, perhaps sensing the presence of another, and the watcher retreated into the safety of his mirrors._

"_What is it?" the girl asked, not turning._

_The boy said nothing as his eyes roved the countless reflections. They passed over the watcher, lingering for a moment, and the watcher was sure the boy had seen him. But the eyes moved on, and the boy turned to his companion. "I thought I heard him following us."_

"_Again?" she groaned. "Why's he always following us around?"_

"_Just ignore him, and maybe he'll go away."_

_The scene changed again, and now the watcher was sure the pair could see him; they stood only a few feet away, and both were staring at the mirror he currently occupied._

"_So that's his Beast Spirit, huh?" the boy asked, eyes traveling the length of the mirror. The watcher felt his cheeks burn at the scrutiny._

_Hands on her hips, the girl smirked. "You think he'll be able to control it?"_

"_What, _him_? I wouldn't count on it."_

"_You're right…" The girl turned, surveying the crater surrounding them. "Hey, don't you think we should get out of here? I'm not sure I wanna be around when he gets this thing."_

_The boy shook his head. "Me either. That's just asking for trouble."_

_The pair turned and hurried away, leaving the watcher behind. Hurt, angry, and confused, he remained where he was, staring after them, mind racing with a thousand plans, a thousand ways to make them quake in fear, or wither in shame, or beg for his forgiveness. If only he could make them see him! If only he could make them feel his pain…_

_He wasn't aware of the transformation until it was over and he was airborne, weaving through the sky in pursuit of the boy and girl.  
_

_When he found them, they were jogging north, talking and laughing, unaware of the beast above. The watcher waited until he was in position, then roared, loud enough to rattle every mirror in his city, and then he dove. The boy and girl whirled, eyes widening at the sight of their assailant. Her knees gave out and he caught her, whispering words of encouragement, but the watcher paid this display no mind. He passed inches above their head, and when the time was right, he flicked his dagger-edged tail._

_Their screams echoed off the mirrors, and the watcher smiled._

-.-.-.-

He'd lost track of how long he'd been walking, of how far he'd traveled, and in what direction. All he knew was he wanted to put as much distance between himself and the other Warriors as he could.

_I see… _The silken voice rose up in his mind, reverberating in his chest the way it had in the steel city. _They are your enemy. They have caused you much pain. Very well. I shall help you destroy them._

Shaking his head, to dislodge the memory, Nao shuddered and leaned against a tree for support. Dark dreams had plagued his sleep the night before, and he had been walking since he woke an hour before dawn. His legs ached, but whenever he stopped to rest, his thoughts returned to the ruined city and his friends – if he could even call them that. How would he ever be able to face them again?

He had known from the start that it was a bad idea. Nao didn't pretend to be as strong as his cousin, and if Jomei hadn't been able to control his Beast Spirit, Nao didn't stand a chance. And then they had to go and point it out. He'd been angry when he had reached out for the Beast Spirit; angry and hurt. But no more so than usual – insults and disdain were commonplace when Nao was around Jomei and Taura, but he could never bring himself to confront them.

Arkenmon had no such qualms.

Now Nao wasn't sure what hurt more, Taura's thinly veiled hatred or Kado's naïve forgiveness, for Nao knew that Kado was wrong. It _was _his fault – Arkenmon had been imprisoned for years, and knew nothing about the Flock's oppression of this continent. The Spirit had looked to Nao for information on who could and could not be trusted…and Nao had turned his rage against Jomei and Taura.

He had known it was wrong as soon as his fingers entered the crystalline statue that had imprisoned Arkenmon. He had wanted to prevent it, had tried to stop what he could feel coming, but he hadn't been strong enough. And when they had merged, when Arkenmon had taken over, Nao had let it play out, indulging that corner of his heart that wanted them to feel his pain.

_And look what happened to them, _Nao thought miserably. _They'll never forgive me._

"_Warrior of Steel…_"

It was the voice he had heard in the Crystal Castle, the one who had identified Jaymon for them, but it was clearer now than ever, and Nao reached for his D-Tector. Static filled the screen, as it had before, but this time it was not as thick, and Nao could almost make out a symbol on the screen.

"_Quiet your heart, child,_" the voice murmured. "_What troubles you?_"

"It's nothing."

"_If your disquiet is great enough for me to sense, it must be very great indeed. Tell me, why are your friends not with you?_"

Sinking to the ground, Nao took a deep breath, resisting the urge to cry, and stared at the static-filled screen. "They aren't going to be my friends after what I did to them."

Silence filled the air, fueling Nao's guilt until he buried his face in his knees. Finally the voice sighed. "_Hush, child. Tell me what happened._"

For a moment, Nao resisted, fearing the story would be too hard to tell, fearing the digimon that owned the voice would think less of him for his failure, and desperate to cling to her as perhaps the last being who believed in his worth as a Warrior. But her silence stretched on – patient, like a mother letting a child speak in his own time, and Nao knew he couldn't lie to the owner of the voice. He told her everything, from their arrival on the Continent of Earth to his new evolution. He even told her of his dreams. When the words ran out, he stuttered to a stop and waited for the condemnation.

But it didn't come. The voice shushed him. "_You are too hard on yourself. You are dealing with powers far greater than any you have known, and no one can demand perfection of you._"

"But Jomei warned me," Nao protested. "I should have been prepared."

"_No two Beast Spirits are alike. Their reactions to their human are unpredictable, sometimes violent and sometimes less so. That is the nature of chaos._"

"Chaos?"

"_The chaos in your heart._"

Nao shook his head. "What are you talking about? I'm not –"

The voice cut him off with a gentle laugh. "_I do not say that in contempt. Chaos is part of all humans' nature, and should not be a cause for shame. We digimon owe our very existence to that chaos._"

"What?"

"_This world was lifeless data until human chaos transformed it. Dreams, fears, affections…these things spilled into our world from yours and gave life to strings of numbers._"

"What does chaos have to do with the Beast Spirits?" Nao asked.

"_The Legendary Warriors are the champions of peace and order in the Digital World. They stop wars and destruction because it is in their nature to abhor such manifestations of chaos. Unlike other digimon, the Ancient Warriors were born without chaos. As such, their Spirits defy the chaos of any who tries to wield them, human or digimon. The Human Spirits, being akin to humans in their own right, reconcile with the chaos more easily than the Beast Spirits._"

"And that's why we lose control of our Beast Spirits?"

"_Yes. It is different for each Beast Spirit. Some reconcile to the chaos as easily as Human Spirits, while others resist and hinder the intentions of the child within. Yet others are swayed by the chaos, sometimes to catastrophic ends. I believe you humans have a saying – a butterfly, in flapping its wings, creates a hurricane halfway around the world? When the Beast Spirit is so affected, it may rampage, unable to think rationally as it releases the chaos, or it may latch onto a thought and channel the chaos to an end._"

"Like what happened to me," Nao concluded, grip tightening around his D-Tector.

"_Yes. What happened was not your fault. Your Spirit could not comprehend your chaos and created a reason to explain what it was feeling._"

"Will the same thing happen every time?"

"_No. As you spend more time with your Spirits, you will influence them, and they will influence you. Your chaos will be tamed, to an extent, and your Spirits will become less ordered, more like you. The same happened with the others. Before you came, your Spirits were fundamentally different from those who had already met their humans. Mercurymon and the others tried to emulate the genuine emotions and spontaneity of their companions, but could not. Like the Ancient Warriors, they were not alive in the same sense as most digimon are. That will change, now that you have claimed your Spirits. You have made it through the worst; now you can learn to cooperate with Arkenmon._"

Nao managed a smile. "Are you sure?"

"_Yes. Now you should reunite with your friends. The four of you must work together if you are to defeat the Flock._"

"You know about the Flock?"

"_I know many things. All will be explained in time, but you must focus on the task before you for the time being._"

"Do I even get to know your name?"

"_Soon_," the voice assured him. A globe appeared above the screen, a yellow dot flashing near the edge. "_This will guide you to your friends. Go to them._" With a crackle of static, the communication ended, leaving Nao with no choice but to stand and turn in the direction indicated by his D-Tector.

-.-.-.-

Ever since leaving Willow Village, Jomei had been having second thoughts. He'd said he didn't blame Naoko for what Arkenmon had done – and he didn't. He _couldn't_. But still he had to wonder. What if Naoko hadn't yet gained control of his Beast Spirit? Kado was fatigued from the battle with Yatagaramon, and Jomei himself ached to sit down and rest. If he was leading them into a fight, would they even be able to win?

He remained silent, however, for he could tell that Taura was equally reluctant. She probably shared Jomei's doubts, and if he voiced them, she would insist they give up on Naoko, and regardless of how Jomei felt about his cousin, he refused to delude himself into thinking they could beat the Flock without him.

And anyway, until they found Naoko, Jomei couldn't be sure there even _was _anything to worry about. All these second thoughts might be simple paranoia. He had to at least give Naoko a chance.

It had taken half the day to retrace their steps to the city where they had found the Beast Spirit of Steel, and from there they had set out after Naoko. Shortly before dusk, they entered the forest, where they stopped to rest for the first time since leaving Willow Village. Tapirmon and Taura left to find food, and as soon as they left, Kado yawned and lay down on the forest floor. Jomei wanted to do the same, but someone had to keep watch, so he sat with his back against a tree, staring at the dozing ten-year-old.

He still couldn't believe Kado had managed to control his Beast Spirit so quickly. From what he had said, Kado had been nearly killed by Yatagaramon; it would be only natural to be afraid of facing him again. Most other kids would have been glad to hide in the forest until the battle was over – but not Kado. Jomei had to admit, he was impressed.

And if someone as young as Kado could control a Beast Spirit, surely Naoko had already done the same.

Jomei sighed and turned his eyes to the canopy, searching for something else to think about. Less than two weeks ago, he hadn't had anything to worry about – nothing important, anyway. Nothing life-threatening. What _had _he worried about? Spending too much time with his cousin? And now here he was, roaming the woods of another world in search of that same cousin.

"Well, well! Looks like I've caught you napping." Jerking upright, Jomei turned to find a digimon that was half man, half bird leaning against a tree. He grinned. "Some Legendary Warriors you are."

"Who are you?" Kado demanded, sitting up.

The digimon laughed, a squawking sound that reminded Jomei of Jaymon. "Why don't you check those precious digivices you love so much?"

The D-Tector was already in his hand, but before Jomei could read the name, the voice of the woman from the Crystal Castle spoke. "Raptormon. An Ultimate level Data digimon, Raptormon's sharp tongue is only matched by his talons. Watch out for his Understory Hunter attack, or this bird of prey will turn you into his next meal."

Surprise and confusion flashed over Raptormon's humanoid face. "That voice..."

"Another Ultimate?" Kado groaned. "Can't we catch a break?"

"Shut up, human!" Raptormon snapped, masking his confusion with a scowl. "Which one of you is the Warrior of Earth?"

Groaning, Jomei got to his feet, as did Kado. "Doesn't the Flock have anything better to do than send its minions after us?"

"I'm not a minion," Raptormon seethed. "And I would have come two days ago if Egalamon didn't want to try out her idiotic plan. Now tell me which one of you murdered my brother or I swear I'll kill you both!"

_Brother? _Jomei hadn't realized digimon had relatives. "Go ahead and try. We aren't going down that easily! Execute: Beast Spirit Evolution! Latranamon!"

Raptormon's eyes narrowed as the fractal code faded. "So it was you…"

"Execute: Beast Spirit Evolution! Kodamamon!"

Both Raptormon and Latranamon stared dumbly at the Warrior of Wood, but it was the bird who voiced what they were both thinking: "You don't actually plan to _fight_ like that, do you? You're a tree."

"Rootlet Ambush."

Raptormon squawked as the roots erupted from the ground, stabbing his feet and legs as he leaped clear of the attack. Latranamon snickered, but Raptormon was considerably less amused. "Falconer Spiral!" The Ultimate rose into the air and began to spin, gathering green energy around his body. The energy began to screech like a hawk. Sprouting wings, it detached from Raptormon's body and dove at Kodamamon.

The attack fizzled out as it crashed against the Spirit's bark, and Raptormon let out a cry of disbelief as he settled onto a high branch. "No fair!" he protested. "How come that didn't work?"

"I've got thick bark," Kodamamon said. "It'll take a lot more than that to hurt me."

"Then it's a good thing I don't care about you."

"You should. It's not like I'm just going to sit back and watch you attack Latranamon."

Raptormon laughed. "Aren't you forgetting something? I've got wings. Your little root things can't reach me while I'm in the air!"

"I think you're the one forgetting something!" Latranamon growled, leaping at the bird. "Granite Claw!" Together the two crashed to the ground, and as Latranamon had expected, Kodamamon called out another round of his Rootlet Ambush. Latranamon jumped clear and Raptormon was thrown into the air, flailing his wings in an attempt to right himself. After crashing through two trees, he finally succeeded.

This time he hovered well out of range of either Warrior's attacks, scowling from underneath his beaked mask. "Just the kind of cheap shots I'd expect from humans. Fine. Let's see how far the little sapling's roots reach. Falconer Spiral!"

The glowing hawk crashed against Latranamon, not doing much damage, but driving him back nonetheless. Raptormon followed it up with a headbutt that took both of them out of Kodamamon's line of sight. Then, as Raptormon grinned in triumph, the Warrior of Wood cried out, "Guardian of the Forest" and an amorphous phantom zipped through the shadows. Latranamon shuddered as the hollow eye sockets turned on him.

"What the…" Raptormon turned his attention off Latranamon for a split second, and the Warrior of Earth took the chance to barrel into the bird, biting down on his wing.

"Pay attention!" Latranamon snapped, spitting out a mouthful of feathers. "This battle's just getting started!"

Lashing out with his spiked boots, Raptormon put some distance between himself and the Warriors. "I know that!" he whined, then cocked his head to the side. "Wait just one minute. What's this I hear? Sounds like another one of you brats is coming this way. Maybe I should go welcome her to the party!"

"Taura!" Latranamon cried, taking off after Raptormon, who wove between the trees faster than the large Beast Spirit could manage.

"Don't worry," Kodamamon breathed, floating past. "I'll keep him busy until you get there."

And then he, too, was gone. Snarling in frustration, Latranamon unleashed a Howling Concussion that uprooted most of the trees in his path and charged on ahead. He could hear the sounds of battle up ahead and followed them to a clearing where he found that Taura had already evolved.

"Shimenawa," Kodamamon called. "Fuyu!" Pale brown cords shot out from his raised arm and wrapped around Raptormon, solidifying into thick, barren branches that bound the Ultimate in place. The Warrior of Wood turned his empty eye sockets on Latranamon, making the canine squirm.

"What?"

"Was it really necessary to kill half the forest like that?" Kodamamon asked.

Latranamon paused for a moment, wondering how he could tell how much damage he had done, but decided not to ask. "Excuse me for wanting to help you guys out."

Flinging a Vapor Trident at the immobilized Ultimate, Ranamon sighed. "Will you two quit bickering and come help me?"

"Not so fast. Eyrie Defender!" A new form burst from the underbrush, knocking Latranamon aside with a bolt of energy from her talons, and seized Ranamon's shoulders. They crashed through the canopy and rose into the air, well out of Latranamon's reach.

Raptormon struggled out of Kodamamon's bonds and joined the newcomer in the sky. "Nice timing, Egalamon!"

Egalamon, a bird-like digimon who looked strikingly similar to Jaymon, though with darker feathers and a fringe of feathers that looked like hair around her head, scanned the forest below. A breeze caught the green ribbons entwined around her body. "There are only three, Raptormon. Where is the Warrior of Steel?"

"How'm I supposed to know? Besides, I only care about the one who killed Jaymon."

Egalamon clicked her beak and glared at Raptormon. "Did you listen to none of Inoxmon's warnings? If we let one human slip our mind, it will be our undoing."

"Well we have these three here," Raptormon pointed out. "Let's take care of them now and go after the other brat when we're done."

While they continued to bicker, Latranamon caught Tapirmon's eyes. "What's the deal with Egalamon?"

"It would appear she is the leader of the Flock," the Rookie whispered. "But I..."

A D-Tector beeped, though Latranamon didn't know where it had disappeared to, and the voice spoke for the second time that day. "Egalamon. An Ultimate level Vaccine digimon, she surpasses Jaymon and Raptormon in cunning if not in strength. She will take advantage of any weakness she sees, so be on your guard."

_Vaccine? That's unusual…_ Turning to Kodamamon, Latranamon indicated the trio in the sky. "You think you can get Ranamon away from the other two?"

"Well…I might be able to get Egalamon to drop her, but after that I'd be pretty much useless. I don't have a physical form right now." To demonstrate, he reached out for a nearby tree. His arm passed right through. "They're pretty high up, too."

They would have to get Egalamon to fly lower. But as Latranamon tried to think of a way to accomplish that without hurting the Warrior of Water, Ranamon decided she'd had enough of being held hostage.

"Aqualine Metamorphosis!"

Egalamon could do nothing but watch as Ranamon transformed into a stream of water that slipped effortlessly out of her grip, dropped a few feet, and reformed to find a place to land. Bemused, Latranamon loped toward her, ready to berate her for being so reckless, but Egalamon wasn't about to let her prey get away.

"Eyrie Defender!"

Twisting around, Ranamon started another Aqualine Metamorphosis, but was cut off as the attack struck her midsection, sending her tumbling head over heels toward the treetops. Latranamon and Kodamamon hurried forward – though what Kodamamon hoped to do, Latranamon couldn't say – but Egalamon was faster than them and wrapped her talons around Ranamon's ankles.

Egalamon shot off eastward, away from the plain and deeper into the forest, and the others scrambled to keep up. At a cry of "Falconer Spiral," Latranamon was forced to dodge the incoming hawk, which put him several seconds behind Kodamamon, who continued to literally fly through the trees until Latranamon lost sight of him.

"Woah!" Kodamamon cried after several long moments of silence. "Latranamon, stop!"

Latranamon skidded to a stop at the edge of the forest, less than a foot from a cliff. Kodamamon hovered a few feet away, glancing between Latranamon and Egalamon, who had drifted out over the sea. The bird grinned and released Ranamon, who fell screaming to the waves below.

-.-.-.-

Ranamon panicked as she began to plummet, and scrambled for the focus necessary to trigger an Aqualine Metamorphosis, but all she could think about was the churning surf rushing up to meet her…

Seconds before she hit the water, she remembered: she was the Warrior of Water. What was she so worried about? As she fought her way to the surface, she wanted to smack herself. Some digidestined _she _was, scared of her own element! Sunlight sparkled just over head, and she broke the surface with an attack ready.

"Dousing Torrent!"

Thanks to the abundance of water around her, the attack more closely resembled a geyser than the usual Frisbee-sized disc of water, and it was all but impossible for Egalamon to dodge. Unfortunatly, though she emerged thoroughly drenched, the Ultimate looked more angry than hurt.

Ranamon didn't let that intimidate her. Treading water more easily than she'd ever been able to as a human, she crossed her arms and smirked up at the leader of the Flock. "Way to go, genius. Don't you realize who I am?"

"Don't you realize you're surrounded by salt water?" Egalamon replied, shaking the moisture from her wings.

"Water is water. I don't care if there's salt in it or not!"

Laughing, Egalamon spread her wings, which began to crackle with electricity. "Well you should. Want to know why? Allow me to show you. Jupiter's Reign!"

The cloudless sky lit up with a dozen lightning bolts that struck the water around Ranamon, sending up enormous clouds of steam and coursing through her body. She would have screamed, but it was over too soon, and she was sinking, dimly aware that she had devolved. The water around her roiled, roaring over the ringing in her ears, spinning her around and around until she didn't know which way was up.

As her tumbling slowed, Taura forced her eyes open despite the stinging salt. With all the bubbles swirling around her, she couldn't see much, but lightning continued to flash, making her skin crawl, and she instinctively swam in the opposite direction.

Her hands found the bottom, and she flailed for a moment, cutting her hand on a rock, clawing at the seaweed that plastered itself onto her face. It took her a moment to turn right side up, but eventually she saw the sky, clear of lightning at last. Her lungs were aching now, so she planted her feet on the slick mud and pushed off.

She didn't get far. Twisting, she saw the seaweed that had caught her foot. She tugged against its grip, but that did nothing to free her; she tore at the strands, but they held fast, and her vision was beginning to fade.

_It can't end like this! _she thought, fear renewing her struggle. Jomei and Kado were still up there with Raptormon and Egalamon – they needed her help! She was a digidestined for crying out loud! She was supposed to save the Digital World, not drown here!

In her struggle, Taura kicked the rock that had cut her hand, which fell away to reveal a small chamber underneath, and within the chamber, something small and red shone brighter than the sunlight overhead. Taura stopped thrashing to stare at it, and the pressing need for air lifted as her hand reached into her pocket of its own accord.

_It can't be…my Beast Spirit?_

Smiling despite her predicament, Taura pointed her D-Tector at the Spirit. Finally, she wouldn't have to sit on the sidelines while the boys did the fighting! And she would show them that controlling the Beast Spirits was no big deal.

She wasn't worried as the Spirit entered her D-Tector. She wasn't scared when the ocean around her faded away. She wasn't intimidated when she felt the other consciousness rising from the Spirit to mingle with her own.

-.-.-.-

Egalamon had kept the lightning coming long enough to ensure the human brat was dead, whether from electrocution or drowning. She didn't care if the little twerp _was _the Warrior of Water! What had the Warriors ever done for digimon like her and her brothers? The Guardian of Water – now _there _was a power worthy of respect! But this pathetic little human would probably kill him, too, if given half a chance.

That was why she had to kill the children who thought some old prophecy gave them free reign over a world that wasn't theirs.

The other intruders screamed the girl's name from the cliff, obviously worried about their companion's wellbeing, but Egalamon couldn't afford to be swayed by the display. Even the basest of villains cared for their allies; Egalamon had seen enough villains come and go to know that much.

Glancing to where Raptormon hovered, Egalamon wasn't surprised to see that he was unmoved by their emotions. Empathy had never been his strong suit.

"Raptormon, let's finish this. I'll leave the Warrior of Earth to you."

But before either of them could attack, a deafening, sloshing clamor drew Egalamon's eyes to the ocean, where a maelstrom large enough to swallow a Tyrannomon had formed. The swirling water gained speed, drawing the funnel downward until Egalamon could see the ocean floor. Then all at once, the whirlpool collapsed in on itself, sending a jet of water thirty feet into the air. The human girl's voice echoed from the geyser.

"Execute: Beast Spirit Evolution!"

The Beast Spirit hovered in midair as the geyser receded, and Egalamon couldn't help but notice that even the human's supposed "beast" form still looked suspiciously like its host's frail species. It did, of course, have considerable improvements.

For one, it had a long, slender back end like a fish's tail – though, to be fair, the silvery scales covered the humanoid torso, arms, and neck, and even trailed across the Spirit's face like freckles. In addition to the caudal fin at the end of her tail, she had a dorsal fin that started at her waist, a ventral fin picking up opposite it a few feet later, and a small pelvic fin at her navel. Each of these fins, though translucent, had a bluish tint and bony white spines.

Glossy white webbing stretched between her fingers, and hair like seaweed cascaded down her back from underneath a crimson cap, in which a lone white feather rested. Her face itself was more wedge-shaped than Ranamon's, giving the Beast Spirit a fishy visage that Egalamon vastly preferred to the human's lumpy egg of a head.

The Beast Spirit turned her wide-set gaze on Egalamon, smirking, and announced her new form: "Merrowmon!" The fish-girl took a moment to run her hands over her new body, and as she did so her grin widened. "Well this ought to be fun."

"Taura!" the Warrior of Earth cried. "You're alright!"

"Oh, I'm better than alright. I think it's time we put an end to the Flock once and for all."

Egalamon sighed, marveling at the thought of all the thousands of digimon who still clung to the humans as saviors. "Don't get too cocky, girl. You're still only human. Eyrie Defender!"

Merrowmon wriggled her tail like the fish she was and cut through the air as though it were water, neatly avoiding the oncoming attack, then darted forward. "Fin Blade!" she cried, and the bony spines in both her dorsal and ventral fins elongated. Pivoting in midair, she slashed at Egalamon, managing a shallow gash across her back.

"Only human, huh?" Merrowmon laughed. "I've got a Beast Spirit now, birdbrain! I could beat you to a pulp all by myself!"

Scowling, Egalamon rose higher into the sky. _Typical human, _she thought. _Always trying to do everything alone. Doesn't even know the meaning of teamwork._ As Merrowmon glided after the avian Ultimate, Egalamon executed a loop that put her in a perfect position to peck at the Spirit's exposed back. The Warrior tried to retaliate, but Egalamon tucked her wings in and dropped out of range, then raked the mermaid's side with her talons as the amateur tried to mimic the maneuver.

"Still think you can beat me?" Egalamon asked, backing away as her opponent launched a rather weak punch. "Even if you had my experience – which you don't – you just aren't suited to aerial combat like I am. Try all you want; you won't be out-flying the Flock. You probably don't even know how to use that new Spirit of yours!"

"I know what I'm doing!" Merrowmon snapped, coming in for another assault that Egalamon easily countered. This time she actually managed to rip off several of the fish's scales, which earned her a strangled cry of pain.

Out of the corner of her eye, Egalamon saw Raptormon's Falconer Spiral heading her way, and she plummeted again, watching with glee as the attack sent Merrowmon tumbling into the water below. This girl was clueless! Not only was she ignorant of her own limitations, but she acted like the battle taking place between Raptormon and her friends didn't even matter. Perhaps Egalamon could use that to her advantage.

"Take this, birdbrain! Fin Blade!"

Sighing, Egalamon fluttered aside. "The same attack? Let me give you some advice, kiddo. You can't keep doing the same thing and expect different results. Are you really that simple-minded?" The Spirit ignored her and tried again; Egalamon caught the sharpened fin in her talons and tossed the fish aside. "Or maybe you're just scared."

"Scared?" Merrowmon crossed her arms as she righted herself. "Of what?"

"What else? Losing control. Everyone knows Beast Spirits are dangerous! Why, they destroyed two whole cities while I was just a Champion, you know." Egalamon shot the Warrior a knowing sneer. "No one will blame you for playing it safe, but you should know that won't win this fight."

"What are you talking about?" the Warrior demanded. "I'm completely in control of my Beast Spirit! What do you take me for?"

Egalamon shook her head. "A human, of course. That's the whole problem. Your kind is notorious for causing problems for everyone around you. It's downright foolish to give you the power of a Beast Spirit. It will only end in tragedy, sooner or later."

"You're wrong!"

"Well then, why don't you prove it?"

Merrowmon hesitated briefly, then reached up and plucked the feather from her cap. "Fine. I will!" The feather began to glow and Merrowmon flung it at Egalamon, shouting, "Druith Lullaby!"

A hundred replicas of the feather appeared, but all of them were aimed a bit too high, and in an altogether unfortunate direction. Egalamon wrapped her wings around herself and dropped safely out of the attack's path, turning to watch it continue on – right into the midst of the other battle. The combatants were all pricked by a score of white feathers, which dissolved into vapor while Egalamon waited to see what effect they would have.

And what an effect it was! Latranamon began to stagger, Raptormon dropped from the sky, and even Kodamamon, who had not actually been pricked, swooned as the mist drifted around him. Within moments, all three lay unconscious on the bluff.

Egalamon chuckled and turned to Merrowmon, whose face had turned the same gray as her scales. "Congratulations, O Legendary Warrior. I've never seen anyone take out their own allies so swiftly. Well done, indeed."

"Sh-shut up!" Merrowmon cried. "I got Raptormon, too."

"Yes, and in the process you took away the only advantage you humans had – your numbers. Once I put an end to your wearisome existence, Raptormon and I will finish off your friends in seconds."

Despite her obvious fear, Merrowmon managed to look resolute – or resigned, perhaps – and Egalamon had to admit she had spunk. "I'm not dead yet, Egalamon," she growled.

"Too true. But don't worry. I'll fix that soon enough!"

**Next time: "Siren Song" – Taura and Egalamon face off, but will the Warrior of Water be able to beat the leader of the Flock alone?**

**Trivia! Yay! Merrowmon is based primarily off the merrow, the Scottish/Irish version of a mermaid. Her red cap is called a **_**cohuleen druith **_**(also the origin for her attack Druith Lullaby) and it allows her to breathe underwater. Hide it from her, and she'll stay on land as your wife, but if she finds it, she'll feel compelled to return to the sea. And she doesn't look like Ariel, either (Disney's mer-folk always looked too much like humans and not enough like fish for my tastes). Her appearance is pretty closely based off the Fiji Mermaid, a piece of art by Takeshi Yamada. Give her non-mummified colors, a fishier face, and one less fin, and you have Merrowmon.**


	15. Siren Song

**Last time…While searching for Nao, the Legendary Warriors were attacked by the remaining two members of the Flock – Raptormon and Egalamon. Taura Beast Spirit Evolved to Merrowmon, but a stray attack has her friends and Raptormon down for the count! Thanks to a pep talk by the children's mysterious guide, Nao is on his way, but if he doesn't hurry, there won't be anyone left to save!**

**Chapter 15: Siren Song**

_Nature teaches beasts to know their friends.  
-William Shakespeare, from _Coriolanus

"Jupiter's Reign!"

Knowing she couldn't avoid the lightning strikes in midair, Merrowmon dove into the ocean, swimming deep enough that the electricity couldn't reach her. Things weren't looking good. Merrowmon was no match for Egalamon in the sky, but whenever she stayed too long in the water, Egalamon left to attack her friends. Another attack lingered in the corner of her mind, but after what had happened with the Druith Lullaby, Merrowmon was afraid to use it.

She was so _stupid_! Even knowing how much trouble her friends had had with their Beast Spirits, she had thought she was strong enough. As if she could control a power that even overwhelmed Jomei!

But that was the problem, wasn't it? She _hadn't _lost control. Aside from a brief period early on, during which she could hear a voice whispering in her ear, singing of the power that now flowed through her veins, she hadn't felt the "other presence" Jomei and Kado had told her about. Sure, she had a bit of trouble maneuvering, and she kept overshooting her target, but that could be explained away by the fact that Taura had never had fins before.

No, Merrowmon's mistake hadn't come from a surge of her Spirit's will; it had come from Taura herself. She had been so eager to prove that she could control the Beast Spirit, to prove that Nao couldn't hide behind an excuse and shrug off all responsibility for what _he _had done, that nothing else had mattered. She forgot all about her friends and unwittingly aimed her attack straight at them.

Now, as the lightning overhead tapered off, Merrowmon knew that Egalamon would soon go to finish them off. She had to rejoin the fight before that happened. But she hesitated for a moment, staring around at the dim, open ocean. This was her element. She was stronger here; surely she could find a way to win if she just stayed in the ocean.

But Egalamon would never venture close enough for Merrowmon to attack; of that there was no doubt, so Merrowmon reluctantly surged toward the surface.

When she emerged, squinting to see in the red twilight, Egalamon was already almost upon her friends. Not wasting time or energy on a Fin Blade, Merrowmon tackled Egalamon from behind, and both digimon crashed to the ground near their unconscious comrades.

Merrowmon knew that Egalamon had the advantage in the air, but while they were grounded, they were on more or less equal footing, so the Warrior grappled with Egalamon, ripping feathers from her wings and wrestling her to the ground whenever she tried to rise. Of course, the bird wasn't about to give up, either. Her talons tore into Merrowmon's tail and her beak pecked at Merrowmon's head and neck.

"Fin Blade!" Merrowmon cried, pushing herself into the air with her arms and flipping over to slam her tail down on Egalamon's chest. The bird cried out in pain, but retaliated faster than Merrowmon would have thought possible.

"Eyrie Defender!"

Merrowmon took the blast in the gut, and it tossed her to the edge of the cliff, where she lay winded and unable to rise. She glanced to where Latranamon and Kodamamon had fallen and tried again to pick herself up, but her wounds ached too much and she collapsed, gasping for air. A shadow fell across her, and she glanced up to see Egalamon alight on a fallen tree.

"The power of the Legendary Warriors never ceases to astound me," she said dryly, preening her wing where Merrowmon had relieved her of a particularly large fistful of feathers. "I see the Digital World is in exceedingly capable hands."

"Shut up," Merrowmon whispered, gasping like a fish on a hook. She pushed herself into an awkward kind of crouch and glared at the Ultimate. "I'm…not done…yet."

Egalamon rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You aren't fooling anyone with the tough girl act. If I decided to kill your friends right now, you wouldn't have a choice but to sit there and watch."

"No!"

"Don't worry. You won't have to watch the Warrior of Earth die. I promised Raptormon he could avenge Jaymon. Of course, I could just put you out of your misery now, but I must say the thought of making you watch at least one of your friends die is awfully appealing."

Merrowmon shook her head and dragged herself forward several feet. "Kado…I won't let you hurt him!"

"I'd like to see you stop me." Egalamon spread her wings and took off, rising high above the cliff. "Eyrie Defender!"

-.-.-.-

Nao had been following the blinking light on his D-Tector all day, and as afternoon faded into evening, he began to wonder if he should stop for the night. He might have miles yet to walk, and he was already exhausted. Surely Jomei and Taura wouldn't mind one more day without him…

But just as he decided to find somewhere to sleep, his D-Tector let out a squeal like feedback and the pulsing light flashed more frantically. Glancing around, Nao wondered if he had stumbled upon his friends without noticing it, but the forest was empty, aside from a few small animals scurrying through the bushes. The digivice screamed at him again, so Nao gave in and followed its lead once more.

It wasn't long before he saw what had turned the device into a strobe light. A whole section of the forest had been leveled, every tree uprooted and tossed aside; according to his D-Tector, the other Warriors were on the far side of this devastation.

Nao knew the scene before him could only mean one thing: a battle had taken place here. It was probably still going on up ahead, and if that was the case, he had to help them. Arkenmon could…

He stopped with his finger on the button that would activate his evolution. It was true that Arkenmon was stronger than Mercurymon, but Nao hadn't accessed his Beast Spirit since attacking Jomei. If he still couldn't control it, he would only make things worse. Better to stick with his Human Spirit and Slide Evolve later if he had to.

"Execute: Spirit Evolution! Mercurymon!"

Following the trail of destruction, the Warrior of Steel sprinted through the forest, alert for any signs of his friends. A few moments of tense silence passed, and then he heard the sounds of a scuffle. He urged his feet to run faster, but stopped short as the forest thinned. Scattered before him were six figures, most unfamiliar. Tapirmon lay unconscious under a nearby tree, and Latranamon had passed out near the edge of the cliff. Two other digimon were also unconscious, but the remaining two were alert, though the one that looked like a mermaid was in bad shape.

"Don't worry. You won't have to watch the Warrior of Earth die. I promised Raptormon he could avenge Jaymon. Of course, I could just put you out of your misery now, but I must say the thought of making you watch at least one of your friends die is terribly appealing."

"Kado…I won't let you hurt him!"

Mercurymon gasped as he recognized Taura's voice coming from the mermaid. And Kado…? Mercurymon turned to the unconscious digimon. Could one of them be Kado in his Beast Spirit form?

"I'd like to see you stop me," the bird digimon taunted, soaring into the sky. "Eyrie Defender!" Her talon glowed with golden energy, but before she could let it off, the mermaid thrashed, gained the air, and darted in front of the spirit-like digimon Mercurymon took to be Kado.

"No! Please!" the mermaid cried.

The bird hesitated. "I'm…impressed."

"Please, don't kill him!"

The bird's eyes hardened and she shook her head. "You didn't show Jaymon any mercy; why should I spare you?" If she was waiting for an answer, the mermaid didn't have one to give, and with a scowl the bird released the golden energy. The Warrior of Water covered her face with her arms.

Mercurymon had hesitated long enough; he sprinted in front of the mermaid, shields raised. The bird's attack disappeared into his shield as he skidded to a stop. "Irony Shield!" Both digimon stared, shocked, as Mercurymon reflected the attack, which caught the bird squarely in the chest and sent her tumbling into the forest.

"Mercurymon!" the mermaid gasped, dropping her arms as the Warrior of Steel turned around.

"Is that you, Taura?" He asked with a frown. She nodded. "What's going on?"

"Well…it's complicated. The Flock showed up – Egalamon, the leader, is the one who just tried to kill Kado, and that one over there is Raptormon."

Mercurymon glanced to where she pointed, then turned back to the figure behind Taura. "That's Kado?"

"Yeah. Well, technically it's Kodamamon, his Beast Spirit." She offered him a weak smile. "You probably already noticed that I found my Beast Spirit, too."

"What's it called?"

"Merrowmon." Biting her lip, she lowered her gaze to the grass between them. "Nao, I…I screwed up."

"What do you mean?"

She gestured to the four unconscious digimon. "I wasn't…wasn't thinking straight, and Jomei and Kado got caught up in my attack."

Taura had lost control, too? Mercurymon stared at her, unsure what to say. A frighteningly large part of him wanted to rub it in her face, to point out that what happened with Arkenmon wasn't his fault, but he resisted that urge. It was just the Beast Spirits trying to come to terms with human chaos…or something to that effect.

He forced a smile. "Well it doesn't look like they're hurt at all, just sleeping." She gaped at him for so long that he started to fidget under her inky gaze. "Let's just focus on Egalamon for now, and we can figure out how to help Jomei and Kado after that."

"Nao…" Merrowmon shook her head. "About Arkenmon, I –"

Egalamon's furious squawk cut their conversation short, and the bird emerged from the forest in a whirlwind of leaves and broken branches. "You little _brats_! How many dirty tricks are you going to pull? Jupiter's Reign!"

Most of the lightning bolts vanished harmlessly into the forest, but others fell dangerously close to the unconscious Warriors. Miraculously, only one found the crown of Mercurymon's head, but that was enough to bring him to his knees.

"You're one to talk about dirty tricks," Merrowmon spat, darting forward to tackle Egalamon off the cliff. "If you want to fight, fine. Let's fight. But they can't fight back, so leave them out of it."

Rather than push Merrowmon away as Mercurymon expected, Egalamon latched on with her talons and spread her wings. "If that's what you want…let's take this fight somewhere private!" And with that, Egalamon turned and dragged Merrowmon out to sea. Mercurymon ran to the edge of the cliff, but they were already so far gone that he didn't bother attacking. Even if Steel Alloy could reach that far, he would never be able to avoid hitting Merrowmon.

Would she be alright? She hadn't been faring well when Mercurymon had first arrived…

No, she needed help. He knew that, but in order to reach her, he would have to Slide Evolve, and he still wasn't sure he could take that risk. When his gaze fell on Kodamamon and Latranamon, he realized what the solution was: wake them up. Then Egalamon wouldn't be able to manipulate Merrowmon, and the four of them together would easily be able to defeat her.

Thus encouraged, Mercurymon knelt by Kodamamon, calling out his name. He didn't stir. Turning to Latranamon, he shook the Warrior, and got the same effect. He shook harder, called louder, and still the pair remained unconscious. Perhaps Merrowmon's attack had put them under some kind of spell?

Whatever the case, it was bad news for Mercurymon. He was alone in this; if anyone was going to help Merrowmon, it had to be the Warrior of Steel. And that meant he had to Beast Spirit Evolve. He hesitated, and lightning flashed in the distance, illuminating waves that looked like gasoline in the growing darkness. By now only a thin line of pink gleamed over the forest behind him, and he couldn't make out the fight between Merrowmon and Egalamon. Taura could already be in trouble.

If he was going to act, he had to act now.

The voice on the D-Tector had said it would be better the second time around, he reminded himself. He could do this – all the others had. Hoping he was ready for whatever came next, he reached inside to the power locked away…_Arkenmon. I'll control him this time. I won't let him hurt the others._

"Slide Evolution…Arkenmon!"

-.-.-.-

Merrowmon was at the end of her rope. Always before, even in the worst of situations, she had forced herself to go on because she truly believed there was a way to win. Even as she had fought Egalamon, she had clung to that hope, and when Mercurymon arrived, she had thought the battle all but won.

Then Egalamon dragged her out to sea, and their battle had dragged on for long minutes with no sign of Arkenmon. In the darkness, Merrowmon was no longer sure which direction would take her back to shore.

She was alone, and alone she didn't stand a chance against the leader of the Flock.

As Egalamon's Eyrie Defender drove her into the water below, Merrowmon tasted despair for the first time. Why should she bother to fight on, when the ending was so clearly tragic? Jomei and Kado and Nao would all die soon, whether Taura joined them or not, so why throw away her life? It wouldn't do the Digital World any good, and the whole reason she had been called here was to save the world, right?

The ocean opened before her, full of life and opportunities. She couldn't win alone, but the digimon of the sea would rally behind her. Those who could fight on land or in the sky would join her in avenging her friends; those who couldn't would spread the word to the other continents, and soon she would have an army at her back, ready to reclaim the Digital World.

Glancing toward the surface, Merrowmon saw a shadow pass under the newly risen moon. It was still too dark for Egalamon to see her, but once the second and third moons rose, Merrowmon wouldn't be able to hide – not here where the water was so shallow.

For now, though… She could disappear into the night, plot her revenge in peace, and strike when the time was right. She could make the ocean her home – indeed, it already was her home. The water around her was soothing, giving off a sense of security and belonging. As the Warrior of Water, where else could she possibly call home?

Lightning flashed overhead as she turned to make her getaway, and Merrowmon froze, afraid she had somehow been spotted. But the next attack was not one she had yet seen Egalamon use. She heard shouting; two voices arguing. One was too deep to belong to Egalamon, and it kept repeating the same two syllables over and over, while the other, which Merrowmon took to be Egalamon, replied with garbled streams of words.

Though Merrowmon couldn't make out what they were saying, something about the two syllables was familiar, and her curiosity drew her nearer the surface. As Merrowmon reached the bottom of a trough between waves, the deep voice stopped, and Egalamon laughed.

"I don't believe you," the deep voice said. Merrowmon _knew _that voice; why couldn't she place it? "Erebor!"

It clicked – _Arkenmon! _A mushroom cloud of bubbles broke the surface as Merrowmon gasped. He had come, after all! She suddenly realized why the two syllables had sounded so familiar: Arkenmon had been calling her human name. He must have been worried when he came upon Egalamon with Merrowmon nowhere in sight. But why had it taken her so long to make sense of her own name?

_Forget about him_, a voice whispered from the corner of her mind. _The ocean is your home. You don't need him._

This voice, too, Taura recognized. It was the voice she had heard when she first evolved, the voice she had been hearing for the past few minutes, though it hadn't registered until now. The voice of her Beast Spirit.

And it was calling her away from her friends.

Suddenly Taura understood. Arkenmon was no different than any other Beast Spirit. He may have attacked his friends, but any one of them could have gotten someone killed. Pure luck had spared them from Latranamon's cavalier behavior during his first fight with Jaymon; Kodamamon had wanted to abandon Taura and Jomei out of pure laziness. And now Merrowmon would betray them all to save her own skin.

But Taura wasn't about to let that happen. Ignoring the whispers of her Spirit, she waited for the next attack to reveal Egalamon's position while silently drawing on the power of her Fin Blade. The spines along her tail tingled as they stretched, then locked into place, and Merrowmon gathered her energy. She would have to be fast, and silent, or Egalamon would see her coming and dodge as she had already done a hundred times.

_You don't have to do this, _the Spirit pleaded.

The light of an Eyrie Defender illuminated Egalamon's tawny body, and Merrowmon lashed her tail, propelling herself skyward.

_But the ocean…!_

The voice ebbed as Merrowmon broke the surface, and died completely at Egalamon's strangled squawk. The Warrior of Water was grinning as she swiped her fin across the Ultimate's chest and delivered a deeply satisfying smack to the bird's face with her caudal fin as she retreated to where Arkenmon hovered.

"Sorry I'm late!"

The Warrior of Steel gaped at her for a minute longer before he mirrored her smile. "You came. That's all that matters."

Merrowmon shook her head. "Not quite. There's one other thing I have to take care of." Closing her eyes, Merrowmon searched for the word she needed. After a few seconds, the voice of her Spirit relented and whispered a word Taura didn't recognize. Nevertheless, she could feel the power in the word as she spoke it aloud: "Dúsacht!" At once, a feather appeared in her hand, this one as black as octopus ink. Merrowmon scanned the horizon until she found the cliff, a pale serpent in the moonlight. "Druith Lullaby!"

The black feather leaped from Merrowmon's fingers and drifted toward the mainland on a breeze Merrowmon couldn't feel. She thought she saw it multiply after a few lazy loops, but in the darkness she couldn't be sure. Shrugging it off, Merrowmon turned back to Egalamon.

"Where were we? Oh, yeah. Fin Blade!"

-.-.-.-

Something tickled his snout. He wrinkled his nose, but it stayed put, so he snorted and blew at the offending object. That failing, he raised a paw to swipe it away.

It pricked him between his toes, jolting him fully awake.

Latranamon glanced around in the darkness, trying to remember what had happened. He remembered fighting Raptormon with Kodamamon while Egalamon faced off against Taura's newly claimed Beast Spirit, and then…a whirlwind of white feathers.

Raising his paw, Latranamon saw a black feather sticking up between two toes. So that was what had roused him. But where were the others? He stood and glanced around. Kodamamon was beginning to stir nearby, a black feather sticking out of his _shimenawa_. A bit farther into the forest, Tapirmon was already alert, scrutinizing a third black feather. As for Raptormon…

"Falconer Spiral!"

Too groggy to react properly, Latranamon took the attack head-on and crashed through four or five trees before coming to rest.

"Latranamon! Are you alright?" Kodamamon had apparently awoken at the attack and now hovered beside the Warrior of Earth as he righted himself.

"I'm fine," Latranamon grunted. "But where's Taura?"

Kodamamon hesitated. "I don't know. I don't see her or Egalamon. But if they're both gone, that must mean they're still fighting, and…"

And if Taura had lasted this long, chances were she could last a bit longer. Latranamon knew this, but it didn't make it any easier for him to give up looking for her to focus on Raptormon. Even if she _was _in trouble, he couldn't very well ditch Raptormon to look for her. He just had to hurry up and win.

"Let's get this over with," he grumbled, leaving Kodamamon behind as he charged forward. "Howling Concussion!"

Raptormon tried to find shelter behind a tree, but Kodamamon phased through the tree as Latranamon's shockwave passed. "Shimenawa: Natsu!"

Luminous leaves swirled around Raptormon, drawing pained cries as they pierced his wings, and Kodamamon retreated as Latranamon closed the distance with a shout of "Grantie Claws!" Raptormon tried to flee, but the Warrior was faster, pinning him in the deep shadow of the forest. Not even the moonlight reached them, and it was so dark Latranamon almost missed the smile that crossed the Ultimate's face.

"That wasn't very smart of you," he taunted; Latranamon didn't know why, for he had him completely pinned and the bird wasn't even struggling. Raptormon's eyes flashed yellow. "Understory Hunter!"

And with that, he vanished.

-.-.-.-

Now that Merrowmon had rejoined the fight, things were going much better for Arkenmon; he hadn't been faring well on his own. Of course, he had been distracted by his search for Merrowmon and his lingering unease about being in his Beast form, but nevertheless he had sustained several painful hits without managing to touch Egalamon.

That was no longer the case.

"Fin Blade!"

"Erebor!"

The Warriors closed in on Egalamon from opposite sides, and she waited for them to get close, surely planning on letting them collide when she dodged at the last minute. But Arkenmon was used to her maneuverability by now and knew that if she wanted to get out of the way fast, she would tuck her wings in and plummet, so at the last minute, he teleported a few feet lower.

The gamble paid off, and they collided just as Merrowmon passed over their heads. Thanks to his armored mask, Arkenmon came through unscathed, but Egalamon flew backwards, skimming the waves before she managed to right herself.

"Jupiter's Reign!" she cried. Merrowmon yelped and dove into the ocean, evading the attack entirely, but Arkenmon didn't have that option. He had already been thrown into the water once, and had needed Merrowmon's help to get out. His wings, as it turned out, did not double as fins, and his serpentine body had no other means of propulsion.

Luckily, the lightning bolts didn't seem particularly drawn to Arkenmon's steel armor or to his large form, and he managed to evade each bolt. As the last few fell to his right, he wondered if there had been fewer this time than there usually were. Maybe he was imagining things… Or maybe Egalamon was getting tired.

Hardly daring to hope, he twisted around to relocate Egalamon – and found her just five feet away, talons outstretched as though ready to pluck his eyes out. Arkenmon swerved, but he didn't have enough time to avoid the attack entirely.

Egalamon's talons tore at his underbelly, leaving a gash from his jaw to his first set of wings, where they met resistance in the form of Arkenmon's ruby. Searing pain blossomed in his chest, and instinct took over.

"Gekirin Vengeance!" he cried, body contorting in a way he wouldn't have thought possible. Before he knew what was happening, he was facing the other way, and his tail uncurled like a whip, the blades on its end burying themselves in Egalamon's abdomen. The force of the blow threw her down, so fast that Arkenmon was sure she would plunge into the ocean this time, but just as she was about to hit the waves, Merrowmon appeared, batting the Ultimate skyward with a deft flick of her tail.

"Are you alright, Arkenmon?" the Warrior of Water called.

Arkenmon twisted to examine his injury. Egalamon's talons had drawn blood, but the wound wasn't deep. "I'll be fine. Let's just hurry up and end this."

"No arguments here," Merrowmon muttered.

By this time, Egalamon had recovered from the double team, but she was considerably worse for the wear, and Arkenmon was sure the battle couldn't last much longer. Unfortunately, Egalamon had another trick up her sleeve: "Herbal Remedy!" Her green ribbon, now in tatters, glowed brightly in the darkness, and to Arkenmon's horror the gaping wound he had just delivered shrank to a mere scratch.

"Well that's just _perfect,_" Merrowmon grumbled. "Now what?"

Arkenmon didn't know, but he had to try anyway. "If you landed a direct hit, do you think you could finish her off?"

The mermaid considered this for a moment, then nodded. "_If _I scored a direct hit, yeah. But that's kinda the whole problem, wouldn't you say?"

"I'll distract her somehow. Be ready to attack."

"Yeah, yeah. You just worry about birdbrain over there."

-.-.-.-

"Where'd he go?" Kodamamon asked.

Backing away from the shadow where he had last seen Raptormon, Latranamon shook his head. "I don't know. Keep your eyes open."

"What's the matter?" Raymon jeered. Latranamon whirled and pounced, but found no one. "The big, strong Legendary Warriors can't really be having this much trouble finding one little bird, can they?"

Growling, Latranamon scanned the shadows. "Why don't you come out and fight instead of hiding in the shadows?"

"Just what I was thinking."

With a cry, Raptormon shot from the branches and over Latranamon's back, tearing into him with his spiked boots. Chips of rocks went flying and the Warrior craned his neck to snap at the bird, but he had already disappeared back into the shadows.

"Latranamon!"

"I'm fine. Do you see him?"

A cackle was the only warning they had before Raptormon appeared again. Latranamon turned just in time to take the brunt of his attack to the shoulder. Kodamamon managed to get an attack off as Latranamon nipped Raptormon's heels.

"Shimenawa: Fuyu!"

The ghostly vines shimmered in the darkness as they sped toward Raptormon, but once they wound around his ankle, their glow faded. Latranamon could tell it wouldn't hold the Ultimate for long, but it slowed him down, and that was all Latranamon needed. Pivoting, he roared, "Howling Concussion!" The attack destroyed the few cords holding him and sent him careening into the darkness, where he promptly disappeared.

"Nice shot!" Kodamamon cheered.

"Don't celebrate just yet," Raptormon shot back. "You got lucky that time, but I won't fall for the same trick twice."

"Trick?" Latranamon asked. "You're the one playing dirty here."

Kodamamon floated closer, close enough that Latranamon could feel a chill where his arm brushed his side. "I have an idea. Try to get him low." The Warrior of Earth frowned at him, but he was already drifting away. He heard him murmur, "Guardian of the Forest," and then Latranamon was alone.

-.-.-.-

As soon as Kodamamon possessed the old beech, the rest of the forest reached out and lent him its senses. It took him several moments to sift through all the information. Bats flitted through branches, rodents scampered over trunks, and insects burrowed among roots. With considerable effort, he forced these sensations out of his mind and searched for larger beings.

It was easy to sense Latranamon, who had flattened himself as much as was possible for a digimon his size. After a few more seconds, he found Raptormon, as well.

The Ultimate loitered in the canopy, hopping from branch to branch as he chose his angle of attack. Kodamamon urged his roots through the soil to a stand of bushes behind Latranamon, forced the tips up through the soil into open air. The bushes would keep them hidden from Raptormon until the time came; he just hoped he would be able to reach high enough to bring the hunt to an end.

Finally Raptormon stopped fidgeting in the canopy and leapt toward Latranamon.

"Rootlet Ambush!"

Either Raptormon didn't have time to react or he didn't think Kodamamon posed a real threat; either way, he flew straight into Kodamamon's trap. Roots shot up, stabbing straight through Raptormon's wings.

Even as the bird crashed to the ground, Latranamon chased after him. "I've had enough of this! Granite Claw!" The claws extended with a flash of light, and Raptormon didn't have a chance to move before they pierced his chest.

He let out a strangled cry. "No! I can't die...not now! I can't leave the fate of our world in the hands of a bunch of humans."

Latranamon backed off, scowling. "We managed to defeat you. I'd say we're doing pretty good."

"The bad guys always think they're unbeatable," Kodamamon saod. "But the heroes always find a way to win. Now it's time for us to free the Continent of Earth! Rootlet Ambush!" Almost immediately, Raptormon faded to a silhouette, and Kodamamon absorbed his fractal code through his roots. Emerging in his _kodama_ form, the Warrior of Wood glanced around. "Now to find Taura."

-.-.-.-

Merrowmon's instincts told her to keep her distance from Egalamon, but Arkenmon's wounds were slowing him down, so the Warrior of Water ventured a few passes with her Fin Blade. To her surprise, she managed a glancing blow each time – not enough to win, but it proved Egalamon was getting tired.

"Eyrie Defender!" Egalamon cried, forcing Merrowmon into the sea.

As she hit the water, she heard Arkenmon call out, "Lind Flame!" The sky lit up with blue fire, and Egalamon screamed as she flailed her wings in an attempt to avoid the attack.

Then Merrowmon was in the water. It took her a few seconds to return to the surface, and just as she did, Egalamon unleashed a bout of Jupiter's Reign on Arkenmon, who was now some distance away. In the sporadic light, Merrowmon could see that Egalamon's left leg and a sizeable portion of her left wing had been encased in steel. As a result, the Ultimate listed to one side and hung so low in the sky that ocean spray peppered her talons with each wave.

"Erebor!" Arkenmon didn't wait for the lighting storm to cease, but rather charged through it, taking at least one direct hit, and bore down on Egalamon, who was too flustered to do anything but heave her body to the side and out of the Warrior's path.

Merrowmon recognized the opportunity Arkenmon had created and as Egalamon wobbled in midair, dipping down almost to the point of submersion, Merrowmon reach out for her Beast Spirit's last, strongest attack.

"Strokkur Vent!"

The water around Egalamon began to boil and churn, and before she could do anything about it, the geyser erupted, rocketing the Ultimate thirty feet into the air with a column of scalding water and steam. Merrowmon chased Egalamon up the column, feeling her body grow hot as she approached the bird, and as she burst from the geyser's crown, she thrust her steaming hand forward, piercing Egalamon's chest and reducing her to fractal code.

Merrowmon let the geyser recede as she summoned her D-Tector. "About time. Fractal code…digitize!" The digiegg floated away, and Merrowmon turned to Arkenmon. "Nice plan."

"Thanks, but…it wasn't much of a plan," he confessed. "I was making it up as I went along."

The Warrior of Water laughed. "Well, whatever. It worked, anyway. Come on, let's head back."

-.-.-.-

It didn't take long to reach the mainland, but even so, Arkenmon devolved as soon as he was over dry land. Taura joined him soon enough, and the two started walking. Nao fiddled with his D-Tector for a while, hoping to find the flashing light that had led him to the cliff, but eventually he gave it up and followed Taura.

It wasn't until he saw Latranamon's form in the distance, and heard him call Taura's name, that he remembered why he had been so reluctant to come back. Taura and Latranamon ran to meet each other, the latter devolving as he got close, and Kado joined them soon after, but Nao hung back, knowing he couldn't run but afraid to confront his cousin.

Slowly he became aware of four pairs of eyes on him.

"Nao, my boy!" Tapirmon cried, zipping over. "How _did _you find us?"

"Who cares?" Taura cried. "I'm just glad he came!"

"You…You are?" Nao shook his head, confused. "Why?"

Taura grinned. "You idiot! You saved my life!"

"I guess I should thank you," Jomei said, staring out over the ocean. Nao frowned, trying to decide if his cousin was being sarcastic. He sounded sincere, but Nao had been fooled before.

He didn't have long to think about it, however, for Kado chose that moment to yawn, and Tapirmon clapped his hooves together. "Yes, yes. I'm sure we've all had an exciting day, and we can recount all our escapades in the morning, but for now I do believe we could all benefit from a good rest."

"You're right," Taura said coyly. "What with finding my Beast Spirit and all, I'm bushed!"

Jomei rolled his eyes. "Oh, shut up. You know you had fun."

"Sure, but who knew it would be so exhausting?"

"All of us."

"Well _I _didn't!"

"And that's what you get for being the last to find your Spirit."

"Jomei!"

Nao couldn't help but smile as the two continued to bicker. They paid him no mind, but as far as the Warrior of Steel was concerned, that was just fine. And after that night's battle, Nao himself was starting to forget the events of the previous day.

And now that the Flock was out of the way, maybe they would get to go home.

With that thought in mind, Nao settled into the clearing Tapirmon had chosen for their camp and fell into a more peaceful sleep than he had yet experienced in the Digital World. And to his immense relief, his dreams did not return.

**Next time: "The Frozen Land" – The parents arrive on the Continent of Ice, but what awaits them might be more than Takuya and Kouji can handle.**

**And some trivia about various attacks:**

**-Strokkur Vent – Strokkur is the name of a geyser in Iceland that erupts every five minutes.**

**-Dúsacht, the black feather of "awakening" and Súan, the white feather of "slumber" - Druith Lullaby has two forms, indicated by the two feathers. The feathers' names are Irish, as the merrow is part of Irish lore.**

**-Gekirin Vengeance – the **_**gekirin**_** is the "reverse scale" said to grow on Chinese dragons' underbellies. Unlike every other scale, the **_**gekirin**_** grows toward the throat, and legend says that the dragon will attack and kill anyone who touches this scale**

**-Jupiter's Reign – in Greek mythology, the golden eagle (off of which Egalamon was based) was one of Zeus's symbols. I used his Roman equivalent because it sounded better. :P  
**

**Oh, and since this is a natural breaking point in the story, the next update will be delayed by several weeks so that I can focus on exams. Sorry, but college comes before fanfics. (If anyone cares, there will be one more update in my Kingdom Hearts story before I come back around the middle/end of May.)  
**


	16. The Frozen Land

**Last time…The kids faced off against the Flock! Merrowmon found a way to reverse her Druith Lullaby, and then defeated Egalamon with Arkenmon's help; and Latranamon and Kodamamon beat Raptormon. As the kids head off for lands unknown, their parents, along with Bokomon, Neemon, and Ryuudamon, arrive on the Continent of Ice…**

**Chapter 16: The Frozen Land**

_The ice was here, the ice was there,  
The ice was all around;  
It cracked and growled, and roared and howled,  
Like noises in a swound!  
-from "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge_

Tommy woke midmorning to the sounds of hushed conversation among Kouji, Kouichi, and Zoe, but at first he ignored them and turned over in an attempt to fall back asleep. The Warriors and their digimon companions had left the Continent of Light the previous evening, and in the hours since, Tommy had done little but sleep. There wasn't much to talk about, and long journeys always made Tommy tired. The soft sounds of snoring let Tommy know that Takuya, JP, Bokomon, and Neemon were still sleeping as well. Ryuudamon's bench across from Tommy's was empty.

For half an hour, he let the indistinct voices of his friends lull him into a light doze, but as the sun rose higher, it began to fall on Tommy's face. After a brief battle to blot out the light, Tommy gave up on sleep and sat up with a sigh.

Zoe and the twins fell silent instantly, and Tommy sent them a surprised glance. Before Tommy could ask them what they had been talking about, however, a door rattled open and Ryuudamon entered the Trailmon car.

"Good morning!" Zoe called cheerfully, face flushed as she avoided Tommy's eyes. "Where've you been?"

"Good morning to you as well," Ryuudamon replied, bowing courteously. "I have been thinking."

"About what?" Kouichi asked.

Ryuudamon hesitated. "Many things," he said at last. "Some more private than others. And I am afraid that in matters which pertain to you, I have been unable to reach satisfactory conclusions."

"What matters?" Kouji asked.

"The Spirits, for one, and the Guardians as well."

Tommy sat up a little straighter and looked at Ryuudamon with keen interest. "Do you know which Spirits are here?"

Ryuudamon shook his head. "Not for certain…"

There was hesitation in his voice, and Tommy wasn't the only one who heard it. "You have a guess," Kouji said, and Ryuudamon, after a moment's pause, nodded. "Then you might as well tell us. We've got nothing else to go on, so even if it's wrong, it's at least somewhere to start."

"Very well. Only allow me to preface my guess with a word of caution. Just because two of you found your Human and Beast Spirits on the Continent of Light, does not mean two sets of Spirits await you here. Remember that all four of the new Warriors found their Human Spirits on the Continent of Light, and none of them found their Beast Spirits. You may find four Spirits here, but they may be all Human Spirits, or all Beast Spirits. You may not find any Spirits here at all."

Tommy's heart sank at the thought. He hadn't considered the possibility that nothing awaited them on the Continent of Ice. If this was all a waste…

But Zoe was waving her hand unconcernedly. "Whoever called us here wouldn't open up a useless path. There's a chance we took the wrong track from the Continent of Light, but even if that's the case, it only means that the other Warriors came this way before us."

"Zoe's right," Kouji said. "But just for argument's sake, let's say there are two sets of Spirits here."

"In that case, the obvious answer would be the Spirits of Ice," Ryuudamon said. "As for the others…my guess would be the Spirits of Thunder."

Both Kouichi and Zoe looked crestfallen at his words, and Tommy sent them a sympathetic look. "Why do you say that?" he asked Ryuudamon.

With a sigh, Ryuudamon rested one clawed hand on the hilt of his katana. "I'm sure you have noticed that the continents in the digital world have elemental affinities." He waited for them to not in agreement before he continued. "The Continents of Light, Earth, and Ice are now connected via Trailmon lines. The other two continents, so far as we know are still isolated, but through Serpimon I gathered some information about them. The Continent of Water lies somewhere to the north of the Continent of Light. To the northeast lies the Continent of Darkness."

"And if the element of the continent matches up to the element of the Spirits," Kouichi sighed, "then we know where my Spirits are."

"That's a big _if_, though," Zoe pointed out. "It might have just been coincidence that we found Kouji's Spirits on the Continent of Light."

Ryuudamon nodded. "We know that the Spirits had nothing to do with the elemental affinity of the land. It was the Guardians who shaped the land after the world was reformatted. Two Guardians to each continent. And the Guardians who shaped the Continent of Light were…"

"The Guardians of Fire and Light," Tommy said. "You mentioned that before."

Kouichi frowned. "If that's true, maybe it's more than just a coincidence."

"You think our Spirits are attracted to the elemental energy?" Kouji asked.

With a shrug, Kouichi said, "It's possible."

"Indeed it is," Ryuudamon agreed. "In fact, if the locations of your Spirits are not random, I would say that is the most likely explanation."

"So the Guardians of Ice and Thunder shaped the Continent of Ice?" Tommy asked.

Again Ryuudamon hesitated. "This is where my confidence wears thin," the digimon admitted. "Communication between continents has never been good. I hatched several years after the world was reformatted, and until I began to serve Serpimon, I heard only vague rumors concerning the other Continents.

"But Serpimon had a way of receiving news no one else did," Ryuudamon continued. "She was…unusually interested in the whereabouts of the Guardians. Everyone knows of the disappearance of the Guardians of Light and Darkness, of course. With everyone searching for the Celestial Angels, I suppose news still traveled among the continents. The Guardian of Fire must have disappeared at some point as well, though I've never heard how or when. Maybe Serpimon deleted him; I don't know. She certainly seemed anxious to determine the whereabouts of the others." He glanced out the window at the distant ice cliffs. "The Guardian of Thunder is not here. Only the Guardian of Ice."

"Then how…?" Zoe began.

"Process of elimination," Ryuudamon replied, not waiting for Zoe to finish her question. "Aside from the three who have disappeared or been deleted, Serpimon located five of the other seven Guardians."

"They're still alive?" Kouji asked, frowning. "I assumed if we were called in, they must all be gone."

Ryuudamon shook his head. "By now, they might be. It has been some time since Serpimon received any new information. If they are still alive, they are obviously not in any position to offer assistance."

"We can at least keep our ears open," Kouichi reasoned. "If they're in danger, maybe we can help them. Maybe they'll be able to help us in return."

Tommy nodded. "What are their names?"

"And where are they?" Kouji added.

Closing his eyes in concentration, Ryuudamon began to list off names. "Frazilmon, the Guardian of Ice, is here, or she was. Kermon, Ioumon, and Diviomon, the Guardians of Earth, Thunder, and Wood respectively, were last seen on the Continent of Earth. Neshamon, the Guardian of Wind, was on the Continent of Darkness." Zoe and Kouichi shared a look that was both startled and intrigued. Ryuudamon continued without acknowledging their reaction. "Serpimon was unable to locate Ekmon, the Guardian of Water. She never mentioned the Guardian of Steel."

Kouji nodded slowly. "Frazilmon, huh? We'll tell the others to listen for any mention of her." With a glance at the snoring figures at the other end of the Trailmon car, Kouji sighed. "When they wake up, that is."

-.-.-.-

"You see?" Zoe said triumphantly half an hour later. "I _told _you there was another explanation."

She, Kouji, and Kouichi had gone to the back of the Trailmon to continue their earlier conversation. Their tacit agreement not to share their suspicions with the others had put a hold on the discussion once Tommy had woken up. After Ryuudamon's revelations, Zoe had been eager to speak to her husband and brother-in-law, but they had been unable to get away immediately. It was only when Bokomon, waking to find Neemon clinging to him like a baby koala, launched into an embarrassed lecture that roused Takuya and JP, that the trio had managed to sneak off, leaving Tommy and Ryuudamon to fill in the others on the identities of the Guardians.

Now, as the frigid wind whipped her hair around her face, Zoe couldn't suppress the grin that tugged at her lips. It was a smile of relief as much as of triumph. Kouichi was wrong. Nao wasn't in the digital world, after all.

"I don't know, Zoe," Kouichi said slowly, eyes staring out over the deep blue ocean. "I still think he's here."

"What makes you so sure?" Zoe demanded. "I'll admit, getting our D-Tectors together was weird, and it _might_ have had something to Nao. But now we know better. The Guardian of Wind is on the same continent where the Guardian of Darkness disappeared. If there's a connection between the Guardians, why can't there be a connection between our Spirits?"

"But –"

"She's right, Kouichi," Kouji interrupted. "For all we know, the Guardian of Wind might have been the one who sent you two your D-Tectors."

Kouichi shook his head, scowling. "And who sent you yours? If the same digimon sent all of them, they would have done it all at once. And the Guardian of Light has been gone as long as the Guardian of Darkness. You didn't get your D-Tector at the same time as Takuya."

Though Kouji fell silent, staring down at the water with a thoughtful look on his face, Zoe wasn't at all convinced. "Stop worrying, you two. Our children _aren't_ here. They'll probably be home soon, sitting down to dinner and wondering where we went…" Her throat constricted suddenly as she thought of Nao, left all alone. Kaya would care for her nephew, of course, but he would still worry. Catching sight of Kouichi's concerned frown, Zoe forced a shaky smile. "We should be worried about ourselves. Take care of things here and get home in one piece…"

"We'll be fine," Kouji said, voice leaving no room for doubt. "Anyway, there's no point arguing about whether or not our children are here. Even if they aren't, that just means it's someone else's kids risking their lives out there. They still need our help."

Kouichi gave a heavy sigh. "I know. And I really hope you're right, Zoe," he said, reaching out to rub her back. "I know that the Legendary Warriors have to risk their lives all the time, but…It would be a heck of a lot easier to let someone else's kid take that risk." He laughed feebly. "Or maybe I'm just selfish."

"You're not selfish," Zoe assured him. "I feel the same way."

-.-.-.-

"You can't be serious."

JP was just as frustrated as Takuya, but he kept his mouth shut as he peered out at the bleak landscape. Even in the small, dim station, JP felt the arctic chill of this continent. Once they stepped outside, the wind and snow would make travel all but impossible.

"D'you see any more track out there?" Franken asked sourly. "I couldn't go farther if I wanted to, which I don't. It's too cold here. My gears are freezing."

"How do you think _we _feel?" Takuya cried.

With a snort, Franken began to back out of the station. "Youse guys are the one that wanted to come to this frozen wasteland. I'm outta here!" And with that, he cleared the platform and quickly disappeared into the hazy white distance. Takuya ran after him, but was quickly driven back by a gust of icy wind.

"So…" Tommy said at length, staring out at the blowing snow. "We have to go out there?"

JP made a face. "Guess so."

There was nothing more to be said. Bracing themselves against the glacial temperatures, the group stepped out from their shelter and instantly sank thigh-deep into the dense snow. The first blast of ice and wind left JP breathless, and he shuffled closer to Tommy, hunching his shoulders against the cold. Ahead of them, Kouji and Takuya walked shoulder-to-shoulder, Ryuudamon a few steps behind, stony faced and silent. Bokomon and Neemon struggled to make their way through drifts that in places rose over their heads. Kouichi, his arm around Zoe's shoulders, brought up the rear of the group.

The knot grew tighter with each step, and twice they nearly lost Bokomon and Neemon in the deep snow. After the second instance, Tommy picked up Bokomon, and Zoe, Neemon, and the group continued on, too cold even for words.

It didn't take long for Takuya to get fed up, however. The Trailmon station was still just visible through the blowing snow when the Warrior of Fire suddenly let out a strangled cry. "That's _it!_" Startled, JP looked up to see that Takuya held his D-Tector in his hand; Kouji gave a sigh and stepped back, just as fractal code wrapped around Takuya. "Execute: Fusion Evolution! Aldamon!"

"Well," Zoe sighed. "I guess that's one –"

"Solar Wind Destroyer!" Aldamon roared, hurling the massive fireball through the snow and leaving a steaming trench several hundred meters long.

"- solution," Zoe finished, rolling her eyes. "Was that _really_ necessary?"

Before Aldamon could respond, Neemon leaped out of Zoe's arms and latched onto the Warrior's tail. "Ooh…warm," he sighed contentedly.

"H-hey!" Aldamon protested. "Get off!"

"No way, Takky," JP said, sidling up beside him and relishing the heat that radiated from his reptilian body. "That was a great idea. You're like a mobile furnace!"

Kouichi snickered. "Guess we don't have to be cold anymore."

Aldamon started to protest, but it was too late. The others had all gathered around him for warmth, and he was left with no other option but to trudge forward, grumbling all the way as Bokomon joined Neemon on his tail.

"On the bright side, you answered one question that's been on my mind lately," Kouji muttered, keeping his head bowed. He might have simply been hiding his face from the wind, but JP suspected he was hiding his amusement at Takuya's irritation. "We can still Fusion Evolve."

"Huh," Aldamon muttered, as though realizing it for the first time. "I guess so."

"You _guess _so?" Bokomon demanded, worming his way up to Aldamon's shoulder. "Honestly, Takuya. Sometimes I wonder if you even notice what going on around you." Rolling his eyes, Aldamon shrugged his shoulder, sending Bokomon sliding down his back. "There, you see?" Bokomon chided. "Totally oblivious!"

Aldamon rolled his eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. Were you sitting there?" He grinned, but suddenly a look of intense concentration crossed his face, and he cocked his head to one side. "You hear that?"

"I don't hear anything," JP said.

"What is it?" Kouji asked.

Aldamon paused, closing his eyes. "Voices. Lots of them. This way."

He turned and struck out into the wind, one arm raised to protect his face from the blown ice. The others fell in behind him, relying on his bulk to block the wind. For several long minutes, they trudged, silent, shivering, and blind. When JP leaned around Aldamon to see where they were going, all he could see was white. The snow seemed to be falling faster now, and visibility was reduced to only a few meters in any direction. He huddled closer to the others, hoping Takuya knew where he was going.

"There!" Aldamon called suddenly. "It's a village!"

JP's heart leaped at the words. A village meant warmth and shelter. And food. Their pace picked up, and a few short minutes later, JP found himself on a narrow, snowy road that led through a gap in a wall that was either made of ice, or so plastered with snow that you couldn't tell the difference. At the moment, JP didn't really care. The wall was tall enough to block the worst of the wind and snow, and when Takuya devolved, no one protested.

-.-.-.-

The elder stared at the villagers who had gathered around him. The In-Training Bukamon, small gray creatures with only two fin-like appendages and a tuft of red seaweed sprouting from their foreheads, bobbed in a small knot, chattering nervously among themselves. They had been the first to report the strangers to the elder, but being the timid digimon they were, all they could say for sure was that the strangers were not any kind of digimon they had ever seen before.

The other villagers, Penguinmon like the elder, were Rookies, and as such a bit more level-headed. It wasn't long until the stout purple birds waddled into the plaza in ones and twos, bringing solid information. There were nine visitors. Among them were a Bokomon, a Neemon, and a reptilian digimon whose name none of the villagers knew. And, strangest of all, the other six were humans.

The elder had been dubious at first. Humans had not appeared in the digital world for centuries. But time and again, the report came in. _Humans_, the elder mused. _Can it be? Could they have come because of…_ _No. Our problems are not so bad. Surely they are here for some other reason._

"What do we do?" one of the Penguinmon asked.

"Should we hide?" a Bukamon whispered.

The elder shook his head. "There's no need to hide. The humans have always been protectors of the digital world."

A murmur ran through the crowd. _Isazmon. _"They're here to help us," one timid voice said. Soon the cry was taken up by others, and the villagers' suspicions became certainty.

The elder held up a hand. "We do not know why they are here," he reminded them. "I will speak to them."

"We'll come with you!" the villagers chorused.

"No," the elder said firmly, trying not to grimace. He knew all too well how excitable the villagers were. The last thing he wanted was to overwhelm the humans with dozens of Penguinmon clamoring for help. He gestured to three of the oldest – and calmest – Penguinmon. "Come with me. We will meet with the humans."

-.-.-.-

"Where are all the villagers?" Zoe wondered aloud as she and the others wandered the deserted streets. "You don't think something happened to them, do you?"

Kouji frowned. "We can't rule that out. Remember, no one knows what's been going on here for the last few decades. There could be an evil digimon on the loose."

"Why do you have to be so pessimistic?" Takuya complained, peering though the entryway of one of the many igloos that made up the village. "Maybe they're just…busy."

"I'm not being pessimistic," Kouji argued, peering into another igloo across the street. "I'm being realistic. Why call us here if no one needs our help?"

Zoe sighed as she moved to the next igloo. They were all exactly the same: furniture, dishes, even food. It was as though the inhabitants had left only a few minutes ago, except that there was no sign of life anywhere. "I hope they're alright."

"I can assure you we are quite alright," a new voice said. Zoe turned, along with the others, and saw four squat bird-like digimon, purple with white bellies. The one who had spoken leaned on a cane that looked like an icicle. The other three hovered a few feet behind him, staring at the humans with looks of keen interest and lingering disbelief.

Bokomon let out a soft sound of realization. "Well that explains the lack of welcome. Those are Penguinmon. Incredibly shy creatures, you know. Only found in the coldest regions of the digital world."

"We are not used to having visitors in this village," the Penguinmon elder said. "Few can survive the weather on this continent."

"But there must be other digimon on this continent," Takuya said, confused. "Isn't there travel between villages?"

The Penguinmon exchanged a mournful look. "There used to be travel, yes," the elder said, ignoring his companions. "Not anymore."

"But why?" Tommy asked. "It must get lonely out here."

The elder shook his head, and one of the others answered for him. "Isazmon."

Out of the corner of her eye, Zoe saw Kouji's face darken. "Who's that?"

"No one knows," another Penguinmon answered. "She showed up out of nowhere just after Frazilmon disappeared."

"Frazilmon?" Ryuudamon asked sharply. "The Guardian of Ice?"

The Penguinmon shared another look, and the elder sighed heavily. "The same. Frazilmon was once a Penguinmon in our village. She was the first Penguinmon to digivolve since Lucemon's fall, and it was a great honor for our village when Kumamon chose her as the Guardian of Ice."

"And now she's disappeared?" JP asked. "Do you think Isazmon could be holding her prisoner somewhere?"

"I doubt it," the elder said. "If Frazilmon were still alive, I do not believe she would have allowed Isazmon to reshape this continent as she has."

"It wasn't always this bad," the second Penguinmon explained. "When Frazilmon was alive, there were never any storms."

The third Penguinmon nodded. "Back then, we were able to trade with other villages."

"Now, there is no trade," the last Penguinmon added. "Between the storms and Isazmon herself, it's too dangerous. None who leave the village ever return."

Zoe glanced at the other Warriors and saw that they all wore the same look of outrage. "That must be why we were sent here," she whispered to them.

Nodding, Takuya stepped forward. "We'll stop Isazmon. Don't worry. Just one question first."

"Anything," the elder replied, as the other Penguinmon whispered excitedly among themselves.

"Do you happen to know of any Spirits around here?"

-.-.-.-

"Are you entirely sure this is a good idea?" Bokomon asked nervously several hours later as they stood outside the only entrance to a series of underground ice caves.

Takuya rolled his eyes and glanced at an equally annoyed Kouji. "Of course we're sure, Bokomon. It's the only lead we've got."

But Bokomon wasn't about to give in without a fight. Climbing up on Takuya's shoulder, he glanced nervously down into the dark tunnel. "But we don't even know for sure that there are Spirits in there!"

"But we know that Isazmon want to keep people away from here," Kouji pointed out.

"All the more reason to stay away," Bokomon argued. "Far, _far _away. At least until we've found more Spirits."

Takuya sighed. The Penguinmon had never heard of any Spirits hidden near their village, but they had informed the Warriors that, early in Isazmon's reign of terror, when travel among villages was still possible, they had noticed that those who ventured near the ice caves to the south often disappeared. The survivors confirmed that Isazmon had attacked them as soon as they came close to the caves.

"What else is there in this frozen wasteland to protect?" Takuya asked. "You think Isazmon is afraid someone's going to steal her precious supply of ice?"

"How should I know?" Bokomon demanded. "Who says she cares about the Spirits at all?"

"Only the Legendary Warriors are strong enough to stop her," JP pointed out. "She beat a Guardian, and the Guardians were supposed to be pretty tough themselves. If someone got their hands on the Spirits of the Legendary Warriors, suddenly her hold on this continent wouldn't be so secure."

"Besides," Takuya said, "no matter what's in there, I'm sure Beowulfmon and Aldamon can handle it."

Kouji turned to him, frowning. "Actually, Takuya, I think you should hold off on Aldamon in there."

"Huh? Why?"

"Those are ice caves."

"And?"

Zoe sighed. "Takuya, if you melt too much of that ice, the whole place could come down on top of us!"

Takuya frowned. "Oh. So I guess BurningGreymon's out of the question, too?"

"Probably," Kouji said. "And even in your Human form, you'll have to be careful."

Takuya sighed, but nodded, and they began the tedious descent into the ice caves. Long stretches of gentle slopes alternated with jagged cliffs and crevices, and it wasn't long before both Takuya and Kouji Spirit Evolved to carry the others across the rough sections. Eventually, the tunnel leveled out, and Lobomon ignited his Licht Seiger, letting its bluish glow illuminate the winding tunnel. The light gleamed strangely on the walls – rough, packed snow through which patches of smooth ice flashed like polished metal.

"How deep do you think we are?" Agunimon asked, glancing up at the faint light above and behind them.

"Let's not think about it," Bokomon moaned. He had taken refuge in Zoe's arms, burying his face against her shoulder. Neemon waddled over to a slender ice pillar and began to rub it, humming to himself. "Get away from there, Neemon!" Bokomon snapped, twisting in Zoe's arms. "You'll bring the whole cave down on top of us!"

"No, I won't," Neemon argued. As if to prove that the ice would hold, he began to push against the pillar, straining so much that his feet slid on the slick ground. "See?" With a loud groan, a spider web of fissures appeared in the ice, and then a sharp _crack _sounded as the top half of the pillar jumped an inch to the left. Bokomon let out a wail.

Lobomon stifled a groan and started walking; as he held their only light source, the others had to follow or be left in near total darkness. "Does anyone have any idea where we're headed?" he asked after a moment. Agunimon glanced over his shoulder, curious, and saw that the other four were all pulling out their D-Tectors. Kouichi and Zoe sighed in resignation as their screens remained stubbornly dead.

"I've got something," JP said, the pale light from his screen illuminating his face. "It's faint right now, but there's definitely a signal. What about you, Tommy?"

Tommy shook his head, but as he opened his mouth to speak, his screen suddenly flickered to life. "Now it _is _picking something up…" But just as quickly, it dimmed and went out. "That's weird." He glanced at JP and shrugged. "Let's go after yours first, then try to figure out what's going on with mine."

"If you insist."

Taking up a position at Lobomon's side, JP raised his D-Tector and followed its beacon through the ice caves. They passed so many branching tunnels and cavernous chambers that Agunimon wondered how they would ever find their way out again, but he pushed the thought aside for the moment and kept a wary eye on the shadows around them. According to the rumors, they never should have made it this far without running into Isazmon. Her absence was beginning to worry him. What if this was some kind of trap?

The ice around them groaned and creaked, and every so often, a gust of wind would howl in the distance like some kind of ice monster. The only other noises were their echoing footsteps. Bokomon had slowly accepted that they would not be leaving the ice caves without fully exploring them, and had climbed down from Zoe's arms to prevent Neemon from breaking any more supporting ice pillars.

"I think we're getting close," JP said, after what felt like hours of hiking over the ice. Even as he spoke, the caves around them filled with low moans, soft at first, but swelling louder and louder, until Agunimon's ears rang with the sound. When it faded, the ice crackled and popped for a few seconds, creaking like someone climbing an old staircase.

When silence reasserted itself, Tommy made a thoughtful noise. "That was weird."

"No kidding," Agunimon said, laying a hand on the ice. "I didn't know ice could make that much noise."

Tommy shook his head. "That's not what I meant." He raised his digivice. "My D-Tector reacted to something just now."

"Really?" Zoe asked, surprised. "That _is _weird."

"You think it was reacting to your Spirits?" Kouichi asked.

With a shrug, Tommy glanced around. "Like my Spirits' power is going haywire, or something? I guess it's possible, but I lost the signal. Let's keep going for now. JP's Spirits are bound to be easier to find at this point."

So they continued through the tunnel, glancing around as the moaning returned, more distant this time. JP's D-Tector led them down a low, narrow tunnel that snaked deeper into the ice, where it suddenly flared wide. They spilled out into a chamber so large the light from Lobomon's seiger was all but lost. The floor was smooth and level, the walls (as far as they could see) like a glass dome. There were no stalactites or stalagmites, no dips or cracks in the ice, no ice formation of any kind to break up the vast, empty space.

Tommy's D-Tector flickered briefly at a distant groan, and then all was still.

"It's so quiet," Agunimon whispered. "I don't like it."

"Me either," Lobomon agreed, eyes flicking from side to side. "I'm going to Fusion Evolve before we get any farther. It'll be dark," he warned with a sidelong glance at Bokomon. The Rookie crossed his arms and ignored Lobomon, so as the others nodded, he quickly devolved.

As the fractal code vanished, the only lights now the glow of Kouji's and JP's D-Tectors, the mournful howling returned, sudden and fierce and louder than ever before, and Agunimon instinctively covered his ears against the cry. He thought he heard a voice this time; not just the sounds of shifting ice, but something living. A new light appeared in the darkness – Tommy's D-Tector, once more reacting to…something.

An icy breeze lifted the hair on Agunimon's neck, and he shivered. The temperature in the cave, already chilly, seemed to drop further, and Agunimon whirled around. _There shouldn't be any wind down here…_

He knew something was wrong even before the light from Kouji's Evolution momentarily revealed the tunnel behind him. Otherwise, he might have missed it. The dark eyes were hardly distinguishable from the shadows that danced in the tunnel, the translucent face as pale and hard as ice. He swore he saw something malevolent in the eyes, but as the light from the fractal code faded, another gust of wind buffeted him, and something solid connected with his chest, sending him flying into the center of the chamber.

"Takuya!" Zoe cried as he landed with a grunt and slid until he hit the far wall.

"I'm fine," he assured her, leaping to his feet and sprinting back across the chamber. "Just watch out. Something's in here."

-.-.-.-

Isazmon grinned delightedly as the humans congregated in the middle of the chamber. With a wave of her hand, she sealed off the only entrance with a wall of ice. The fiery one had seen her, she knew, but none of them knew where she was now. Inoxmon had warned her of the Warrior's arrival. Inoxmon would deal with the children, but they hadn't planned on these ones arriving.

Serpimon and the Flock had failed to prevent the young ones claiming their Spirits, but they had always been weak. Maelstromon was stronger, and smarter. He knew how to separate his prey, pick them off one by one, distract them from the danger until it was too late.

Like Maelstromon, Isazmon knew how to distract. Humans were so predictable. Sickly, frail creatures, they were - weak and pathetic without their precious Spirits. For that reason, they would chase the Spirits anywhere, even if it spelled their doom. Yes, she had hidden the Spirits in this cave, but they would never claim them.

Or perhaps they would. It seemed only two of the humans were able to fight. What a pity it would be to expend so much effort in luring them here, only to kill them without a real challenge.

She would give them a chance, she decided. If they proved clever enough to find the Spirits hidden under their noses, they deserved a chance to use them. She would give them as long as it took to kill their friends, starting with the strongest.

As the Light Warrior raised his glowing sword high, and the humans sent anxious looks around their prison, Isazmon grinned even wider. _Here's where all my hard work pays off._

**I didn't actually mean for this to be a cliffhanger… Oops. Guess I'll have to resolve it before heading back to the kids, huh?**

**In any case, now that finals are over and I've settled into my summer routine, updates should be regular again. We're about halfway through this fic, now, and some of my favorite story arcs are coming up soon, so I'm really excited for this summer.**

**Trivia! So many new names this chapter. (Actually, that's part of the reason this chapter was late. I got distracted figuring out names for the Guardians, because, yes, they will play a large role in the story. At least, some will.) I'm not going to explain their names just yet, but if any of you manage to figure out the reasoning behind them…well, there might be some clues buried in there for the shrewd reader. ;) The one I will tell you is the one who actually appeared in this chapter – Isazmon. "Isaz" is a proto-Germanic rune meaning "ice." Small wonder for a digimon who's basically managed to seize control of the whole Continent of Ice, ne?**

**Next time: "Thin Ice" – Isazmon has the Legendary Warriors right where she wants them – trapped, hundreds of meters under the ice, in a prison of her own design. Can Kouji and Takuya hold her off long enough for Tommy and JP to find their Spirits?**


End file.
